Compromised reality (being edited slowly)
by ShinichiKudoOwnsMySoul
Summary: Alibaba Saluja is a royal prince who lives a life of adventure, but even the most cheerful person hides secrets behind a smile. Once, he lived in the modern era, in a town called Ikebukuro, as a boy named Masaomi Kida, until one day he is transported to the Middle Ages after being left for dead. [[Alibaba is Masaomi Kida]] Will he remain in the past or return home to the present?
1. First Exploration The missing Shogun

Part One: How the hell I wound up here

* * *

Who am I? You sure you want to know the answer to that question? Are you really sure you want to know that? Because if for one second, someone told you my life was easy, then I-

Okay, okay, cut, cut, cut! No, no, no!

_I'll stop reciting lines from Spiderman and movies!_

Really, I don't know how to put this into perspective, I don't know how on earth I can explain what happened the second everything I knew changed and I was completely thrown into something out of my element.

I am writing this-so that way, people who find this (whoever they may be) will know and understand exactly what happened to me. And who I am.

Of course you're _gonna have people_ say that I'm crazy, insane, and after all I've been through, who could blame me? Maybe I do have a dark portion of myself that takes all my negative feelings and soaks them up like a sponge and he's totally not a demon-wait, what?

Before you can ask me for my name, I'll give it to you. My name is Masaomi Kida, I'm fifteen years old, I go to Raira High School with Mikado Ryuugamine and Anri Sonohara, I enchant the beautiful maiden Saki Mikajima and eventually we run away together when Mikado needs me most! We start a romance!

Yeah, you know that _Masaomi, right_? That's not me. Sure, my name is Masaomi Kida, but I'm not that one, you know. This is a story of a world that's entirely different from the one you know as Durarara. Or different from the person known as Masaomi Kida. Or even the person known as Alibaba.

That's right, my name is Masaomi Kida, but I'm _also_ Alibaba Saluja. How can I be both? Well, isn't that a complicated story. Everything in my life is so complicated. It's really hard to explain. Then again, everything is.

My life now?

Where I used to be an ordinary school kid, dealing with grades, lack of parents (because I was an orphan) studying for tests, that kind of thing; things now are a bit different-now I worry about the world ending because my best friend has gone completely psycho, now I worry about dungeons, and about who I'm supposed to fall in love with-not to mention I also control flames through my sword, wait, what?

Yep, I am now a dungeon conqueror, prince (former prince, because I ran away) but how did I get this way, you ask? How the hell can I go one second from being Masaomi Kida, a gang leader, Izaya's puppet, to then being a royal prince?

I'm getting to that.

Let me tell you; I love women! Oh, I'm detracting from the subject again. But I always do. It's just a way for me to not focus on the pain, you know. The one thing they tell you about Masaomi/Alibaba is that he's a cheery, handsome fellow who smiles no matter what he goes through.

Now I must tell you, that's bullshit.

Maybe the Masaomi you know deals with things that way, but that's _not _how I do it. Life has never been fair with me.

It seems to me that when I was born, Mother Nature took me by the hand, lovingly, took my destiny, threw it across the room until it landed on the ground, smashed to pieces. Then she picks it back up and remakes it, and then smashes it against the ground, again, again and again.

That's my life. Everything can seem perfectly normal one second and then become an utter hellhole the next. But that's the way this world is. We live, we die, that's it.

So I'm twenty-one now, but if I think about it, I've been here for nine long years; that's a long time, it's becoming harder and harder for me to remember those days when I was just Masaomi Kida, a kid who was pretty unlucky, and stuck with misery.

It's kinda hard for me to remember those days without dredging the pain back up. So anyway, when I was that age…my parents were already dead, my father having abandoned me before I was born.

When my mother learned she was pregnant, she hated me for being born because I reminded her of him, so there were no photographs of me, no toys like that. I was what you would call an abused kid.

She'd never do anything, she drowned herself in alcohol and didn't bother to care for her kid, except for trying to kill him and murder him, all of which were apparently applicable.

So many times I'd come home and find her, passed out, smelling of alcohol, so I'd have to drag her to her room. Or where she'd send me to school with bruises on my face.

She beat me up and even tried to kill me.

It's...it's..too hard to remember.

When I think of her, the one thing I think of is…hatred. She never loved me. Like Hakuryuu, we were both blessed with horrible parents.

Eventually, my mother died because my father returned home, having lust for her once more, found her cheating on him, so he shot her to death, and then blew his own brains out.

I led a gang called the Yellow Scarves, and was supported by Izaya, who as you all know is a manipulative douchebag. He's part of the reason I've wound up where I am today. I both want to thank him and damn him for that.

He seemed like such a nice guy, taking me out to places, letting me do whatever I wanted, but there was always a price. The guy turned me into his slave, practically, making me do whatever he wanted.

I'm just ruminating on my life here-or is it rambling? Maybe a little of both.

My best friend was Mikado Ryuugamine, he had the kindest smile you could ever imagine and the most innocent blue eyes and a face that made you want to hug him. If I had to describe Mikado best, it would be as a whiny, teddy bear.

Mikado looks like a _big_ stuffed animal you could hug.

It's stupid of me to think of my friend like that, I know, and _if_ he were here, he'd probably be like, 'Masaomi, how dare you think of me like that!' and throttle me. But since he's not here, I can say whatever I like about him.

So, how did things turn out the way that they did?

(One other thing: I'm afraid of water, because my mom tried to drown me when I was little…) _This is significant, after all._

I just have to think about that world….Ikebukuro, the world with the Black Rider, but still it was…my home.

I have to admit, I've grown to love this world, but if I close my eyes, I can honestly recall that day…Mikado, his innocent eyes, his face that you want to punch and hug at the same time.

When I meet him again, he's probably gonna punch me _hard_ and he's gonna wail, "HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME!" That's the kind of guy he is.

He's one of those softies, but he can get jealously protective of people he cares about.

I can just remember those days….

"And so, Mikado, what's the perfect thing to do in this situation? I'm faced with ten beautiful girls on all sides of me! They're all so attractive! Because, really, Mikado, there is no limit when it comes to love. No limit at all! So I can tell them, you see the moon and I see the stars, but no one is as beautiful as you are! Do you see what I mean!?"

"No, Masaomi, I don't see what you mean."

I deflate, staring at him like he's the worst person in the world. "Mikado, how dare you!" I cry, running a hand through my dyed blond bangs as I glare at the black-haired teen before me, who looks at me as though I'm crazy.

"Masaomi…can you shut up about women? All you do is talk about them, why do I even hang out with you?"

"Because, you're my only friend!"

"It's easy to see why no one would want to be friends with you, Masaomi."

"Is that so, Mikado? If that's the case, then you don't need me. Instead, you deserve the ultimate punishment." A wicked grin crosses my face as Mikado pales.

"Masaomi, stop!" He whines, "Don't even do what I think you're going to do!"

"It's tickling time, Mikado!" I cry as I instantly tackle the twelve-year old to the ground.*

"No, Masaomi, stop it! No! Masaomi, people are looking!"

"No one's looking! Declare your love for me, Masaomi Kida!"

"Masaomi. we're only twelve, stop!"

"Okay, Mikadorrrrk." I say, pulling at his jaw.

"All done!"

Mikado glares at me.

"Masaomi, don't do that again!"

"You know I will, cos you're just too cute. Besides, you keep saying that I, cannot get any women-"

"Masaomi, there are bruises on your face."

"You what? What are you talking about? There's nothing there…"

"Yes, there is."

Oh yeah, that's from that scuffle I got into last night with those gangsters. Lately, I've been fighting with the Blue Squares, but it's nothing Mikado needs to know about.

"Masaomi, you've been acting distant lately and haven't been answering my phone calls." He says.

"I'm fine!" I say, "I am _so fine _that it hurtsss!"

He grabs at my jaw.

"How do I know you're really Masaomi?"

"I'm Masaomi, who else would I be?"

"Someone out of the Arabian Nights, that book you hate so much?" Mikado questions.

"Ha, that'll never happen! Those books are myths, Mikado, myths!"

"Besides, Mikado, we've got plenty of time on our hands, let's go to a restaurant."

"Really? Masaomi, you'll come?" He says.

"Yeah, of course!" Nothing would keep me from spending time with my friend.

"Masaomi, I'm kinda skeptical." He said.

"I've gotta go back to my apartment!" I said, but I wasn't expecting Mikado to grab my arm-and hold on to it like he never wanted to let go. There were tears in his eyes.

"Mikado, you're not crying because I tickled you, right?"

"No, Masaomi!" He sniveled. "It's just…I had a bad dream last night."

"Yeah, what was it about?" I said, looking at him in annoyance.

"In the dream, something happened to you. You died, Masaomi."

"I died?"

"Yeah, you ran off like this, smiling…then you disappeared and they never found your body. It was awful, please be careful…" He moaned.

"You know me, I'm the master of careful!"

He flicked my forehead.

"Right, so if you're the master of careful, please make sure you don't get yourself in trouble."

Dammit, who could say no to those puppy dog eyes?

"I won't, Mikado! You're being so annoying! I mean that in a good way, of course." I said cheerily.

As I headed home, we had dinner together, and then something happened.

I received a text on my phone while I was eating.

'Hey there, little Shogun, I see you in there with your little friend. If you want him to stay alive, you'll come with us. Come out there and talk to us. If not, then we'll kill him. It's that simple.'

I couldn't let Mikado's life come in danger. This had to be something minor.

I climbed out of my chair.

"Masaomi?" He said.

"I'm fine, Mikado. Look after yourself for once, okay?" I said, smiling.

I still regret not taking his hand that day and being with him. I walked out on my friend that day, like a coward and a fool.

I had absolutely no idea what was coming.

Then just as I did so, a gag was placed over my mouth and I couldn't breathe.

Then I passed out.

Everything fell into nothingness.


	2. Second Exploration Prince's thoughts

**A/N:So 1 favorite and 3 follows, yet no reviews. How is this possible? This story is pretty good. I hope I can get at least someone who reviews. Stories are sad and lonely without them...without the orange review thing, don't they look kind of forsaken? Just sayin'. I have a picture drawn for this now and a comic. This is my main focus, along with my other DRRR, PH, gundam, and Harry Potter fanfictions.  
**

**Second Exploration: The Prince's thoughts. **

* * *

So now it's been several years since I first arrived in this world and left Ikebukuro behind. I still consider myself Kida Masaomi, but a lot of me has matured and evolved since that day. I doubt even Izaya would recognize me anymore. And it's not just the fact that my hair is now permanently blond. I'm just as confused about that as anyone else. But as far as I'm concerned, the past is _over_.

Sure, I still _wonder_ about Mikado, and pray that he's doing just fine, while I fight battle after battle and conquer dungeon after dungeon with Aladdin and Morgiana, I hope that he's having a good life, that he's not getting associated with Izaya or any criminals, I hope my parents have learned to treat me like a human being, what with my being away from them forever...I could say a thousand regrets I have about that day.

I only wish I could have fought back against Izumii and his thugs, could have slugged Izaya a good one, could have done anything but run away like that. But still, if I hadn't done that, where would I be today? At this very moment? Would I have ever learned swordplay, the ability to defend myself, the ability to mature and not be manipulated, learn the joy of loving parents through my new father? I don't think so.

I disowned my parents long ago. My father and Sinbad are like the closest things I have to a father figure in my life, then you can't discount my brother, Cassim. Even though I'm not blood-related, I've been treated relatively well by them...until I was exiled...but you know, fighting again like I did with the Yellow Scarves probably wasn't a good idea to repeat.

You know how I am. I'm Kida Masaomi, the one who never stops fighting until the end. I guess in my second life, I'm still doing the same dumb things. It figures. But still, I can't help but feel dread in my heart, dread that _he _will one day find me and kill me like he intended to do that day. Izaya. I am no longer afraid of that man, but I do not wish to see his face ever again.

Because I will be ready to kill him. I'm not a meek little, scared boy anymore, I'm a grown prince who fights now to protect what he must. What would he say if he saw me now? Hell, he wouldn't even recognize me, having real blond hair and what-not! Mikado probably wouldn't recognize me unless I did some of my special flirting abilities. At least I've had very good luck with the ladies here.

"Alibaba, are you worried about something?" Aladdin breaks me out of my ponderous thought process by looking up at me in worry, his blue eyes full of concern. Oh, _how he_ reminds me of Mikado, someone who's innocent but full of so much curiosity about the world that it might be their downfall, of someone who holds the keys to destruction in his hands and yet is not aware of it.

"...Aladdin, I am worried," I say silently, brushing my blond bangs out of my face. I really, really need a haircut. "...There's something I've been keeping from you."

"I knew that," Aladdin says matter-of-factly. "The Rukh told me."

"...I must tell you...who I really am and where I really came from. Remember how I said I was a prince? Well, I lied about my mother. The truth is, I'm not really his biological son. I'm adopted. Well, it's more like I wasn't born..._in this time." _

Aladdin looks at me in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

Morgiana is also paying attention. She can understand how it feels being away from her loved ones and her native country. "...I thought there was something strange about ya. Looks like I'm right."

"...The truth is, I will be born _two thousand years_ from now. Or, rather, I'm from two thousand years ahead in time. I was born in a modern technologically advanced society. The world I lived in is much more advanced...people can find information in seconds, can contact each other from long distances with things called cell phones..." I pull out my old phone so they can see it, "Of course, it can't work here because it hasn't been invented yet. But it _will_ happen. So it may sound like it's an advanced place, but people still go to war, do stupid things..."

"So what?" Aladdin says, startling me, "I don't care if you're from the future. You're _still_ my friend, Alibaba."

"...Alibaba wasn't my birth name. My _real name_ is Kida Masaomi. I had a best friend named Mikado, who's just like you, Aladdin. He's kind, shy, naive, and a bit too intelligent for his own good. I haven't seen him since we were just boys. You see, my old self had brown hair that I dyed blond because I made a group of explorers called the Yellow Scarves. We were kinda like the band we have now. Only eventually we started doing violent things. And this girl...I liked...she got caught up in it. I couldn't stand the pressure, and just like how I ran from the throne, I ran from her. It didn't work...I was captured, held hostage..."

"That's terrible," Morgiana said briefly. "So?"

"And eventually, I was betrayed and thrown in the sea to drown and die. I honestly thought I would, until I came to in this world, in this time...and my body had already changed. My muscles changed for some reason, and my hair became permanently blond. I was shocked, confused...didn't know what to do. Then Father came in my life and told me everything would be okay. And up til now, that's what I've been doing, trying to avoid my future. I'm a coward, aren't I?"

Aladdin comes up and pats my shoulder. "Alibaba, I don't care who you used to be. You're a good person, and I'm sure that girl misses you as much as Mikado does. You'll see them again someday. I'm sure of it. Whether your name is Kida or Alibaba, you're still my friend. And I can keep secrets! Maybe Ugo can grant your wish."

"I'd give anything to go back and see Mikado again, just to apologize for vanishing like that. I value him more than anything else."

'But here, here I have a father that cares about me, a brother, a best friend, a potential girlfriend, and one of the greatest allies I've ever had before, and adventure. I don't need an Izaya in my life. But I _want _to go back. I _can't _leave him forever. But part of me is no longer Masaomi Kida,' I think, grinding my fists together.

"We'll figure out a way to take you back to your time. But stay here with us. You seem truly happy here, Alibaba. That's what the Rukh tell me."

I sigh and pat his head. "And apparently, I guess if I hadn't left that world, I would only be 15 or 16, but since time flows faster here, I'm now twenty years old. That's a big change. Mikado hasn't seen me since we were both eleven or twelve. He would never recognize me, anyway. Anyway, let's go hit the town and find some women! Let's have the great Alibaba Saluja give us advice on how to attract the hotties!"

As usual, I smile and hide the pain, just like I've always done. But is that enough?

That night, I lie there watching the stars, like usual, and finger a yellow scarf I picked up in town. It looks just like the one I used to have, before it was torn apart. Yellow will always be a part of me, I'll always be a yellow-bellied coward, but yellow also means optimism, happiness, and betrayal. All that makes up me. I can't escape it. But I can deal with it.

'Just you wait, Izaya. I, Alibaba Saluja will make you pay. You won't even know what hit you when I'm through with you.'

I let myself go limp and fall into unconsciousness. It is here that my worst enemy surfaces: my own mind. My mind loves to fault me and criticize me. And seeing someone like me who has extremely bad luck, who's to say it won't change again?

_I'm alone in my mind. I see my old self, lying there, bleeding to death, as Ran and Aoba kick my corpse, laughing their asses off. _

_"Look, the Shogun is nothing but dust now. No, he's sand. Worthless sand. Ha ha, I knew we'd win this gang war." _

_"How pathetic. To be expected from Izaya's puppet. I guess we'll go for his girlfriend next. Oh, wait? Izaya's probably screwing her since her boyfriend is dead." _

_A hole fills my heart. Saki...Saki going out with __**Izaya? **__That has to be a lie. Saki would never...would never do such a thing. Yet I see her, with Izaya, he's whispering things to her and she's laughing. She's laughing at his jokes, and not at mine. _

_"...I can't believe Masaomi died. It was so tragic. You did everything you could to help him, right?" She says, and there is a dead look to her eyes. Perhaps she did truly love me. _

_"...I tried, but he was so stupid he deserved it."_

_She looks shocked. "Izaya-sama, what are you saying?"_

_"Masaomi-kun was a stupid idiot from the start. You and he were just little puppets in my game. Sorry to spoil it for you, Saki-chan, but I never cared about you to begin with. Your whining over your boyfriend was hilarious. Let's not forget how he was only thirteen years old and you are older than he is. Is that not comical or what? If only I could see the look on his face when you die." _

_My fists curl. "Izaya...die already!" I cry as I come at him, but he vanishes. _

_"Dammit..." _

_Then, Mikado is near me...he's laughing as he kills someone with his own hands. _

_"Good work, Mikado-kun...your Dollars keep on getting stronger and stronger. Hmm? There won't be anyone left to stop you. You'll be able to avenge Masaomi-kun, don't you think?" _

_"Yes..." Mikado whispers, his blue eyes now dark. "...I'll kill you, for murdering him. But he's not dead. He can't be. I refuse to believe you." _

_"Mikado, stop!" I cry, rushing toward him but I fall down. _

_"...Masaomi, you're worthless. You abandoned me, you abandoned your parents, you abandoned Saki, you abandoned all of us. You should be ashamed of your own existence. I'll never forgive you...never, never, NEVER! And when we next meet, I will kill you by my own pen...right through your skull..." He says, before laughing coldly. _

_"...No...I'm not Masaomi anymore...I'm not...I'm not..." I moan. _

_"You're just a coward, a yellow-bellied one," Izaya taunts before slashing me with his knife. _

_I feel water filling my lungs again, I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I've gotta get out of here..._

"Alibaba, wake up! You fell asleep bathing in the stream!" Aladdin cries, shaking me awake.

"Oh, I did...?" I say in confusion, before I look down, and my eyes widen. There, on my body, is the scar I got from Ran's blade. It's right there, on the bottom of my left leg. But there's no bleeding. It's just there. "...Why would I, to begin with? You know how much I dislike swimming and water."

"Was it a nightmare?"

"Yes, it was a nightmare of the day I was kidnapped..." I say, shaking slightly. 'Calm yourself down, Alibaba. You're not scared, frightened little Kida anymore. Now you're a _real _Shogun. Shogun aren't afraid of water.'

"Alibaba, are you afraid of water because you nearly drowned?" Aladdin asks. His voice soothes my pain, just like Mikado's used to be.

"I wonder...what Mikado's doing now," I say between gasps, "I dreamed...Aladdin, I dreamed Mikado was killing people...but he would never do those kinds of things..."

* * *

In Ikebukuro, modern times

Mikado Ryuugamine was torn up with grief. His best friend, Masaomi Kida, was missing, apparently he had been part of a gang called the Yellow Scarves and he had thrown himself into a river to kill himself. His best friend, committing suicide? Mikado couldn't help but wish he had been there to help make things better, do something-anything, to help. Why was he so useless?

Out of his grief, he formed the Dollars and in no time, the Dollars quickly went out of control and took over the gang's headquarters. Mikado also slowly became corrupted by the power of the Dollars and the effect Masaomi's 'death' had on him.

Sometimes he would look in the mirror and see Masaomi standing there, glaring at him with hatred, asking him what he had done to deserve such a fate. And Mikado didn't have an answer for his dead friend. "...I deserve this," He mumbled. "Masaomi would never forgive me if he knew what I'd become. If I was only...if only I was by his side, then this would have never happened."

That night, he dreamt of glowing lights and a young boy with blue hair playing with them happily. A figure joined him, a young man with long blond hair in a ponytail and wielding a blade.

There was something familiar about the young man. He couldn't see his eyes. "K-Kida-kun?" He said. The figure looked at him for a moment, then ran, away from Mikado.

He blinked as Izaya stood over him.

"Did you have a nightmare, Mikado-kun? Hmmm, I wonder what could have triggered that." He chuckled darkly and watched his protegé as he stirred out of bed.

"I dreamt of Masaomi running from me...it's my fault he died."

"...That's right. He was a coward who didn't deserve to live. You know why he brought this upon himself. He was suicidal. A suicidal idiot who got what he wanted."

"Liar! You're lying!" Mikado cried. "Masaomi would never be suicidal. I'm convinced you have something to do with it." He said, confronting Izaya.

Izaya laughed. "...Mikado-kun, are you really that foolish?"

"I know you did something to him. What if he's still alive, huh? He'll come get you!" Mikado cried, remembering the young man in his dream.

"...You are a foolish idiot, aren't you, Mikado-kun? The dead don't come back to life. I can safely say Masaomi Kida is dead."

* * *

I can safely say that Judal is, without a doubt, the most depraved individual I have ever met. He is this world's version of Izaya. I can't help but shake my head in disbelief. His sadism knows no bounds. And towards him, I feel the same vengeful spirit as I do towards Izaya. It's almost like Izaya is probably thinking I'm dead. How I envy his optimistic thinking, because I am far from dead.

This is the most I've felt alive for a long while. But I won't rest until I find a way back to Mikado. I will not rest. I will see you again, Mikado. I know I will see you again! I know this out of the pit of my soul.

Someone is crying...who is crying? Who can it be? Is it Morgiana, Aladdin, anyone? Who is it? I don't know or understand who it could be. It's...Mikado. He's crying terribly hard.

"M-Masaomi...is..._dead? This can't be..." He sobs into his hands while I watch him. _

_"M-Mikado, I'm alive, I'm right here," I say. But my hands go through him. _

_"He killed himself, didn't you know?" Izaya, the devil incarnate says, sneering evilly and making Mikado sob even harder. "I heard they never found his body." _

_"BECAUSE I NEVER DIED TO BEGIN WITH!" I scream. But no one hears me. _

Ah, those women were so amazing and sexy it almost makes me feel like I'm back in Ikebukuro once more. The great Kida Masaomi still finds as many chicks as he can get to have him, if you know what I'm saying. Ah, I feel happier now. Then, I remember something strange...you know, I can recall who beat me nearly to death, I can describe the feeling of death, I can remember that...but I'm starting to forget what my parents' faces looked like. Why am I starting to forget?

It kind of scares me. I want to hold onto my old life, I don't want to lose it. I don't ever.


	3. Third Exploration Past and Future

**A/N:Wow, this fanfiction gives me so much insight on Masaomi's character. I never realized how complex he was until now. I think this story is cool. Just please leave a review, please. I get kind of annoyed when no one leaves a review letting me know if they liked it or not. Mikida pairing (one-sided) and Alibaba/Morgiana. Okay, so I only have read the first 2 volumes of Magi and the first five or six episodes of the anime, but I read up on Alibaba's backstory and already know it'll be a little shaky, seeing as he comes in later. So, the King is dead and the betrayal has already happened...**

**Third Exploration Back in Ikebukuro **

Mikado Ryuugamine could never believe that he would honestly create something as complex and fascinating as the Dollars, but in the wake of his grief over losing Masaomi, nothing else mattered to him but revenge and power. Power would help prevent him from losing anyone else ever again. And Izaya had played a part in the death of Masaomi, and Mikado would never forgive him for that.

He would never forgive him. Izaya was not the nice guy he pretended to be. He was a sick individual, obsessed with power-insanely so. Izaya loved to gloat to him about how Masaomi had died. He'd fallen to his death after being pushed over the edge by Izumii Ran and the Blue Squares. So Mikado, obsessed with revenge, had done his best to combat them. Izumii was a known sadist, but the monster lurking inside of Mikado was even more frightening.

He had managed to subdue Aoba and turn him against his brother due to the latter telling Mikado just what Izumii had done to him. Sickened, Mikado decided to make this man's life hell, just for what he had done to both Aoba and Kida. Aoba was still a dick, but Mikado could feel bad for him.

But Kida? Killing his best friend had been a fatal mistake. It had stolen part of his innocence away, to a place where he could never find it again. But why, oh why did he still feel like his best friend was alive somewhere?

Some nights, he would dream Kida was there, flicking his forehead with the same goofy grin on his face he normally possessed and tell him he was doing very well, and that he would come back to find him, so he shouldn't worry.

He could almost see him now. "...I'm sorry, Mikado. I swear I'll see you again...soon."

Mikado lifted his head up upon hearing Kida's voice. "K-Kida?" He said. Had he imagined it? He must be losing his sanity as well as his self-control if he thought he heard voices in his head. That was the sign of a crazy person. But he didn't want to know the truth. He wanted to imagine, to just think that Kida might still be alive, might still be a living, breathing person-even if the opposite were true.

Was it vain hope that still tied Kida's image to him, like a dying dream? Or was it futile fate? He didn't know anymore. His once innocent blue eyes were now dark and lonely, filled with sadness and despair. He wished only that he could return to those joyful days he had once spent with Kida.

Here he was, in high school, and he was all alone. He only wished that Kida could be here with him. Thinking about him just made everything worse: as tears of despair fell down his face, a soft hand wiped them away. He turned to smile at one of his closest friends, Anri Sonohara. She was a cute and shy girl he had met before. She was a very nice girl with her own insecurities, and he supposed, in a way that that drew them together.

Aoba had become a close friend of sorts. Though Mikado was using him just as Aoba was. The feeling between the two of them was mutual-hatred and envy.

"Still dreaming about that boy Masaomi? He's never coming back. That's how my brother is. He steals things away. He stole my parents away as well," Aoba scoffed, putting his hands behind his head.

"...He will come back. I'll do everything in my power to achieve that goal. I will see him again."

Aoba rolled his eyes. "We've talked about this a thousand times before, too. You always get that sad and forlorn look in your eyes and start whining about Kida this, Kida that. What exactly was so special about him, anyway?"

"He's just irreplacable. He's so kind and sweet and gentle. He's funny, too. He has brown hair that I love." But why was he thinking of Kida as a blond now?

"He is kind and gentle-"

Alibaba kicked the rich man out of the way. "You jerk, people's lives aren't wastes of space. Your wine is!" He cried, before throwing it into the plant and swinging down to catch the women who were trapped down there.

"...He's an amazing friend..."

Alibaba smiled. "...I will have his flute and sell it." He said darkly. People weren't just objects, but Alibaba had changed his views more as long as he had been stuck in this world. He no longer was weak or pathetic. Now he acted more in his own self-interest.

"...I know I will find him again. Kida-kun, where are you?"

Suddenly, Mikado's phone rang all of a sudden. Mikado blinked and lifted the phone up to his ear. There was no number listed there, just an 'Unknown Name'. "Hello? Who is this?"

Static was all that greeted him. Bewildered, Mikado spoke again, wondering what kind of joke this could be.

"...Hello?"

More static still remained.

I don't even know why I kept this phone to begin with. It's just a reminder of all the things I have lost and will never regain. I don't even know why I retrieved it. Somehow, something inside me chose to cling to the memories of my life as Kida Masaomi, even though I'm finding it harder and harder to remember what life back then was like.

I can still remember Saki, with her dark brown hair and her gentle smile, can still remember Izaya, and Izumii-one can never forget the faces of those who nearly killed them. But I am starting to forget what a car looked like. Is this another complication caused by my being kicked back into the past? Perhaps, the opposite can happen as well. Perhaps I can communicate with someone from the future.

"What are you doing, Alibaba?" Aladdin said, "I thought you threw that away."

"I wanted to try something," I say, dangling the phone between my fingers, "I want to see if I can reach the future through this. I know I said before that it doesn't work when I try it, but I want to try again. I don't want to give up."

"So you really want to find him, don't you? Why don't you make a wish to Ugo? He might help you, Alibaba," Aladdin says cheerfully, as usual seeing the point, but kind of missing it at the same time.

I smile in amusement. "No, I think I'm going to send a message." I press my fingers against the keys, and to my surprise, it works. I'm going to write a little note, to tell him, I'm okay...tell him I'll see him sometime...

'Mikado...if you can read this, it's me, Kida. I'm alive...I'm living. It's hard to explain. But I am alive. Don't believe what Izaya sayss...he's lying...I can't really type for long...this thing won't work much longer...I am not dead...okay? Keep living...for me. I'm fine."

Mikado closed his phone. The static was beginning to bug him. What was the point of all this? He was sure that this was obviously some sort of trick, some person who'd played a joke on him to be funny. That is, until his phone lit up with a message.

He flipped it open in time to see the letters emblazoned there: _1 new message from unknown...' _

"Who could this be?" Mikado whispered, as he opened it and read over the words; they were hard to make out, scratchy and sloppily written. But it was there. '_Mikado...ifyoucanreadthis, it's me, Kida...you know, Kida Masaomi, the casanova, the sexiest man around, the most awesome bestfriendintheworld. Yes, it's me.I'm alive. I'm living. It's hard to explain.I know I disappearedonyouwithoutaword. Don'tbelievewhatIzayasays...he'slyging...Ican'treallytypeforlong..thisphone won't workmuchlonger. I am not dead, okay? Keep living for me. I'm fine. I can't reallysaywhenI'll bebackorhow.I'minaverydifficultsituation." _

Mikado frowned. 'Mikado...wait a second, if you can read this...it's me, Kida. K-Kida-kun? The sexiest man around? The most awesome best friend in the world? That _has to be Kida-kun. _H-He's alive. What?'

Hope surged through him as he typed back, 'Who the hell are you? Kida-kun is dead...you can't be Kida-kun...'

An even harder-to-read message came back a moment later. '_Mikado,it'sme. Ican'ttalkfortoolong. might sound odd or peculiar to you; the contentofwhatI'm scribing to you. But it's true. It'sme,Masaomi Kida, blood type 0, currently 15 yearsold...who else would I be? I wasn't even sure this would work. This is my final message. I can't talk to you anymore. I will meet you again someday, I'm sure. But you must know to not give up. Give up on me. I can't see you again." _

The vocabulary, and the dialect...Kida's Japanese looked terrible...it was sloppily written and there were some old, archaic symbols in it that didn't exist anymore. What the heck was Kida saying? He was not the type to give up. What on earth could be going on?

'_K-Kida-kun, please anwer me.'_

But a message came back. 'Error, message cannot be sent because the phone number does not exist. It cannot be reached.'

"Who are you messaging with such a desperate look?" Aoba said darkly.

Mikado swallowed his grief. "...No one. It was a wrong number."

Mixed emotions swam around in his mind. 'Was that really Kida-kun? Why did he sound so desperate?'

I stared at the phone in disbelief. How the hell had this happened? This phone shouldn't even be on, let alone working in a time where it hasn't been invented yet. It's impossible, contradictory. "...I got a message from him!"

But then my phone switched off. "...Hmm...that was odd. Oh, well..."

But I felt the slightest bit of hope jump up in my throat. A chance...to return to that world...the one I once thought I would never see again...see his face. My heart starts pounding like crazy. "...Hey, Aladdin. D-Do you think I should really go and see Sinbad? I know I haven't really been back to my home in ages, but...I want to talk to them." I say, my fists shaking as I think about Cassim, yet another person who put a hole in my heart.

_Fire, everything's burning like crazy...it reminds me all too much of the night when I nearly died. Before I arrived here...why? Why is this happening to me again? I swore I'd become stronger. I swore I would never let this happen again. I tighten my fists. _

_"Why does this always have to happen to me?" I cry. "What have I done wrong to deserve this?"_

_"...Alibaba, you shouldn't be here," Cassim says. _

_"Y-You did this! You're...you're just like Izaya, you conniving, two-timing bastard!" I cry, lashing out at the one I thought I could call friend. But he catches my every blow. _

_"...I'm sorry, Alibaba. Knock him out." _

_I feel nothing but the pounding of my heart as my world swims and then falls into unconsciousness. _

"Alibaba, you look really troubled." Aladdin says, reaching out to touch my shoulder. "I know you must be feeling upset right now. But it's okay. Everything will be all right."

"I know what you mean," I say, brushing his hand aside. I cast a small smile in his direction. "Thanks for helping me out. You've always been there for me."

"...I know just what you feel. The Rukh tell me you're feeling very distressed right now. I'm not quite sure how to put it into words. I just think you're very confused inside, and it hurts me to see you do so."

"Man, those Rukh teach ya everything, don't they?" I say, chuckling slightly before I stop and ask myself, 'Is it really worth hoping for? I mean, I have everything I could ever want right here. Why would I even want to leave to begin with?'

'I mean, what would be the point? I can't even remember my house or what it looks like**. **I can remember Raira Elementary school...but it feels like I'm forgetting myself...'


	4. Fourth Exploration Cassim and Alibaba

**A/N:I think I will be reading up some more on Sinbad and Alibaba's past and stuff in order to better know what will be best while writing this story. I've had a few Harry Potter plunnies hit me a few times, but nothing like what's coming while writing this. Game of the Future is also my biggest project as well, so a lot of other things have been put on hold while I update the ones I have ideas for. Play Breaking the Habit, Stop and Stare, Numb, and Life is Beautiful all fit for this heartbreakingly wonderful story. XD Updating Lelouch Potter/The master of Geass today and maybe uploading a chapter of Splintered Birth. :D thank you for 4 reviews! It is most appreciated! Dealing with control freaks for siblings is tough shit, isn't it?  
**

* * *

**Exploration Four: Sinbad and Alibaba**

From the time I entered this palace, everything in my entire life has shifted. I remember the days when I lived in the regular world with Mikado. They weren't entirely pleasant days. I can recall my mother fighting with my father all the time. They would always hit each other and sometimes, I would be the one they'd beat up on, depending on what kind of mood they were in.

Some days, I'd be lucky if I got away without a scratch, other days I would have a bruise or a broken bone or two. Mikado had known what was going on, he was no fool. But he never asked me about it, so I merely assumed at the time that he was ignorant of my parents' true nature.

How foolish then was I, yes, I was very foolish. I grew up on TV shows where the bad guys would always get what was coming to them, where the heroes always won and the bad guys either became good guys or just died. I didn't understand, then, how the real world worked, like I do now. It wasn't until I started getting in fights in school that I started to understand just how cruel and terrifying the world can be at times.

* * *

Numerous times, bullies started fights and when I attacked back, I would get in trouble. The memories are hard to make out, but I know they happened. So now, it's...so...strange. At first, I thought I was just in a remote section of Japan or something, but looking at my surroundings, noticing how there are no trains, no airplanes or boats, no cell phones...that was how I came to the conclusion that I had somehow entered the past.

This felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone. At first, I was determined to get back no matter the cost. But times are different here. People don't listen to right and wrong in this era; there are no simple means of communication. Because I couldn't speak whatever language these people were using, I was treated like a prisoner or some spy. It was probably around then that I began to notice the 'changes' that were happening to my body.

So yeah, I was a teenager, and boys go through puberty, I knew that much. But these kinds of changes were just...strange, to say the least. I don't know when I first started noticing them...maybe it was about a few weeks after I'd landed here and before I met my adopted father, the King.

By then, I'd resorted to using my old gang habits as the 'Shogun' in order to survive, I'd started stealing food from people and using my good old athletic ability. I'd always been a fast runner as a kid, but running for your life every single day tends to do odd stuff to both the human psyche and the human body.

* * *

By then, I'd started to make a few friends in the urchin side of town, but I communicated through signals and what-not, seeing as I couldn't speak much of their language. Boy, was it majorly confusing for me, going from living as a kid who had basically whatever he needed, to going to being _without _such things and trying to fight to survive.

_...I was hungry. Really, really hungry. Maybe that's what inspired me to make such a dumb move and try to snag some meat off a vendor's cart before they could see me, but of course, can a thirteen-year old, almost fourteen-year old kid see the consequences of their actions? Of course not. I grabbed some food that they hadn't noticed me steal and ran into an alleyway, ignoring the confused garble of all the people around, none of whom I understood, really. _

_To me, anyone could be Izaya, hiding an evil nature or intention beneath the veneer of a gentle smile, so I decided then that there was no point in trusting in anyone, because it wasn't like I would be there for good. I could do this. I could leave this place. _

_Unfortunately, that was but a mere dream in the face of cruel reality. First, the most annoying thing about wherever-the-hell-i-was-land was that it was, as I said before, full of sand, goddamned annoying sand, the kind that gets stuck to your feet, that gets everything dusty, and also, the sand burned when I touched it from how hot the scorching sun was, and it wasn't like I could find any sunscreen, either, so I got terrible burns. And boy, did they hurt._

_And seeing as I was nothing but a nobody in these people's eyes, what did it matter to them if I was injured, ill, or dying? I had tried before to try and find someone to take me in, but I'd received irritated looks, looks of pity, and looks of hate. I'd had doors slammed in my face, things thrown at me, been told to 'probably die in the pitfires of hell' or whatever they called me, though I'm sure their talk wasn't pleasant. _

_Second, my clothes were badly torn from the fall I'd had, so the clothes I wore now were stolen, but they still didn't stop me from being incredibly hot and tired and sweaty all day long. Not something a guy can survive, especially a growing teenager who needs sustenance on a daily basis. And also, remember the food and water thing? Yeah, well, how many people are willing to give out that stuff if you don't speak their language or have money? None. _

_I lay in the alleyway, breathing hard, and opened up some ointment I had carried in my pants pocket with me and applied it on my cut from Izumii's knife. It still ached from time to time, but it was starting to fade and become a mere scar. I couldn't recall the last time I had even bathed, but it was a terrible sensation. Slowly, I grasped the remnants of what I had in my hands: a torn piece of bread and some weird-looking fruit. I turned it over in my hands, then took a bite. This stuff tasted terrible, but it was the only thing I had, so might as well eat it. _

_"I wonder how Mikado's doing," I mumbled, "I mean, would he even believe me if I were to tell him this stuff?" I flipped open my phone and checked the battery. IT was barely there. I checked my messages. I had a few, some were from Mikado, another was from Izaya and Saki. _

_As I looked at them, I heard footsteps. I instantly whirled around to face whoever was there, holding the bread against me like a weapon. It was a boy around my age, with dark hair. He looked at me in sympathy for a few moments, before he spoke something that made me tilt my head. _

_"...Golden..." _

_Eh? "W-What did you say?" I said. To my surprise, the boy nodded eagerly and spoke. _

_"Your hair is golden! How rare and unique! You must be from the Far East. I have studied your language before!" _

_"G-Golden? It's just brown, really...I dyed my hair this color..." I said. _

_"You mean you can change your hair color?" The boy sounded skeptical. "How long have you been here?" _

_"Um...a couple of weeks..." I answered, feeling very puzzled and curious about this stranger. I was wary of them, just as they were wary of me, and for good reason, too. _

_"You mean you do not know what your hair color is? Take a look and see..." He guided me to a window and had me peer in. My mouth fell open at what I saw before me. _

_Because...because...the person before me looked nothing at all like me! Sure, my eyes were still golden, but that was natural. The stranger before me was dirty and bedraggled, with tanned skin and very skinny. I stared at my hands for a few moments, noting how I seemed to have more muscle on me despite being so skinny. The most shocking thing of all however was the tangled and dirty blond bangs that met my eyes. Blinking in confusion, I combed through my bangs to find my brown locks to show the boy, but every single inch of my hair was blond. _

_My mouth fell open and I must have looked pretty silly, because the other boy started laughing at me. "You do not even know what your visage is? That is so absurd! So what's your name? Mine is Cassim." _

_"Um..." I opened my mouth to speak, "I'm Kida Masaomi." _

_"Eh? What does that mean?" _

_"T-That's my name," I said, in annoyance. _

_"I was watching you when you stole things from there. You moved fast, like a thief! Your speed amazed me! You're like Alibaba from out of the stories! What if I called you that?" _

_"...Alibaba?" I spoke, letting the name roll over my tongue. It sounded like that fairy tale about the Arabian Nights. I gaped, now I knew where I was! I was in the Middle East! But...this kid didn't seem so bad...and maybe there was a chance for me to escape. "Sure...but teach me your language..." _

_He smiled and shook my hand. _

_It wasn't long after that that a royal man showed up before me and introduced himself, saying that he had heard of my thievery (as I was being brought in a lot of the time and then let go because I was a kid. Age works to an advantage at times) and he wanted to reform me. He told me he would adopt me as his son and I would be a prince. _

_"A...prince?" I said, in complete disbelief. What was this, a fairy tale? Princes didn't exist except in manga. Where the hell was I? _

_He seemed completely serious. "Yes, despite your commoner status, I believe if we raise you, you can act enough like one that no one will ever know. Your name is Alibaba, isn't it?"_

* * *

_I opened my mouth to protest, but then decided to stick with the flow. "Yes, that's my name! I'm the greatest thief around and the best casanova as well!" _

_Several years later..._

_"My son, you are to inherit my kingdom," My father said as he lay dying. I was heartbroken, because the first authority figure in my life that actually had shown me kindness was dying. It was just like back then. I was losing yet another person who cared about me. This was terrible. _

_Tears flowed out of my eyes and hit the ground, soaking the bed beneath my father. _

_"Do not cry, my son. It does not suit a prince like you. You are strong. You will live on and prosper." _

_But in the end, that didn't happen, because my cowardice got the better of me once more. I will never forget Cassim's betrayal. _

_"...Alibaba, your friendship meant nothing to me. You are not even a prince by blood. You are a deceitful traitor." _

_I stared at him with wide eyes before wielding my blade in my hands. "...You're lying. You're just like him, you're nothing but a conniving bastard!" _

_"It is you who is the bastard." He said coldly before cutting my leg, causing me to lose my balance. "Live on, Alibaba, and watch as your kingdom dies. This will be all your fault." _

_Once more, I'd lost everything that mattered to me. But this time...this time, I was not going to trust in anyone or believe in anything, for that matter. If the act of survival meant being all alone, then to hell with it. I took that path and stuck with it. _

* * *

"Aladdin, look at all this treasure we got!" I cried, holding up a big bag of goodies, including some nice jewelry, some nice swords, and of course, a few gemstones for the ladies. Nothing like a good old piece of jewelry for me to make the ladies gasp and swoon over. Fortunately for me, time has also made me irresistible to women.

"Hey, Alibaba, who was your first love?"

I paled slightly. "...A girl named Saki. She was pretty and stuff, nothing special."

"I guess you still like her, huh?" He teased.

"S-Shut up, really!" I said. "There's nothing to be said about her! Really now, guys!" I cried. My gaze turned on my phone, which had not been working since Mikado had sent me that message. I could only hope that he was all right. He was the only thing I had connecting me to my old life, and even that bond was starting to break, piece by piece.

"...So do you like someone new?" Aladdin pressed. Why does he have to be such a pervert? Mikado never acted like this. At least, not that I remember.

"...Um, well...maybe-" My gaze shot over to the uninterested redhead who was eating, and then away from her. Don't let her see you blush, Kida Masaomi. Don't let her see you.

"Aha, you like Morgianna, is that right-?"

"Shut up about it!" I hissed, my face flushing cherry red.

"You're okay. You freed me, so I'm thankful to you, is all." She said dully.

"That's cold," I whined.

"...Your face is cold. You're really just out for yourself, aren't you? But that's what's changed about you?"

"Eh? I don't know what you're talking about, Morgianna! This here Alibaba's always been a savior for women and a gentleman!"

Aladdin just laughed. But deep in my heart, I could feel something unraveling within me. As I lay in bed that night, I tried to picture my mother, my father. I couldn't. I tried to picture my classmates. Nothing but vague blurs, like some old photo reels. I tried to remember my teachers. I couldn't exactly recall them.

I could remember Mikado...Izaya...Shizuo...the scariest guy in Ikebukuro. I tried to recall when my birthday was...I couldn't remember that, either. What the hell was going on? Wait, was it possible that since me, something from the future, was trapped in the past, that my mind was trying to preserve myself by holding on to what I experienced now, rather than long ago?

This was an unpleasant reality. A very, very horrifying one to behold. What was to become of me? If I was to lose my memories of the past, would that apply to my own knowledge?

"Aladdin," I said slowly, "I want you to ask Ugo to allow me to keep my memories. I'm losing them and I can't afford to. I want to remember."


	5. Fifth Exploration trouble

**A/N:Then imagine how this story would look if it became an actual series! Wouldn't it be so fucking epic? I mean, this idea of mine is surprisingly good (and I'm actually interested in one of my own ideas, most of the time I think they're okay, but not the best ever, all right? I just undervalue myself sometimes.) **

* * *

**Fifth Exploration Tired of being who I can't be**

I still can't believe it, that I'm really trapped in the past, but you know what I've become_ really_ good at? Swordsmanship. Being raised as a noble can really do things to you, you know. You can learn all kinds of interesting things when you are raised as a prince. I really have learned so much, and yet sometimes I know I stand out too much. The other nobles...they all don't like me. They know there's something different about me.

Even my brothers treat me with contempt. Abhmad wants nothing to do with me, but Sahbmad actually seems nice enough, even if he is very distant and hard to get to know.

It's hard walking with Father in the hallways sometimes, and catching their contemptuous stares; I know they know I'm not legitimately his son; and yet at the same time I feel completely calm and assured. It's a funny feeling to experience; it's like when you're standing in the middle of a hurricane and you're in the eye and people urge you to leave, but you tell them that what comes after won't hurt or kill you, even though you know it will.

That's exactly how I felt back then. But I never told a soul about where I came from; I kept that to myself. I knew they wouldn't believe me. I knew what they would say if I told them; they would think I was crazy or just full of myself. I didn't want anyone to know who I used to be, so I hid my true identity from everyone else. Was that the right thing to do? I don't know if it was, but I went with it, because I was a confused and frightened teenager who didn't want to die and didn't want to be found by Izaya again.

In fact, even looking at anyone with black hair to this day sends chills of fear down my spine. I don't know how I can combat the fears of a ghost that no longer exists in this plane of reality...all I can do is deal with it rationally...or try to. However that works. So anyway...I suppose I shouldn't rant all the time about my feelings. It really hasn't done me any good to begin with. But I feel like I should tell someone. And Ugo is the one who will listen.

"...So, Alibaba, why are you losing your memories of your life in the future?" Aladdin asks, looking quite puzzled. Morgianna looks interested as well.

I frown. "I'm not quite sure why, Aladdin. All I know is that I'm an object from the future, an existence that doesn't belong here...so maybe my mind here is trying to make me fit in by erasing my memories of things that are inconsistent and don't make sense. Is that it? B-But it scares me, Aladdin. I don't want to lose my memories, even the ones of me dying. I want to keep on being me."

He takes my arms and looks at me with the same reassuring smile he's always had. "I'll be by your side no matter what happens." He says, smiling.

And that in itself is enough for me...for now. But still, deep down inside, I can't hide all the insecurity I secretly feel and that weighs me down heavily, oh how it does. I'm nothing but a worthless coward who doesn't even deserve to be this happy, or do I deserve happiness? Would that really help me at all?


	6. Sixth Exploration Romancing ladies

**A/N:Time for another update! I know, but I hope you guys are all enjoying this! Good songs to play with this would be Time of Dying, Numb, Stop and Stare, and Apologize. Oh, and also, it gets a bit...suggestive at the middle of the chapter. You know how Aladdin and Alibaba are with women. It's better left unsaid. **

* * *

**Sixth Exploration: Those left behind**

Had it honestly been so long since she had last seen Masaomi alive and well? She knew deep in her heart that he was dead, and yet she kept on telling herself over and over that he was alive, and that he would return someday to save her, like Izaya-sama told her. She wasn't the same sweet innocent little pawn she pretended to be for Izaya's sake; that was merely a guise.

The real Saki Mikajima was much more cunning than she appeared. She was actually a very smart and self-assured individual who knew how to handle herself when it came down to dealing with an individual as sociopathic and twisted as Izaya-sama. She admired him for his ideals, but at the same time she despised him for how unfeeling he had been toward Masaomi when he had been killed.

She couldn't help but cling firmly to the belief that Masaomi would never die willingly. He had obviously fought to the end, like a true shogun would. He was like the sun to her, and when he had disappeared like a dying dream, she was heartbroken beyond belief and had not known how to deal with his disappearance. Without him, suddenly her life with Izaya-sama became a lot less interesting. Going through life without hearing Masaomi's lame jokes, his lame but funny pick-up lines, the way he held her hand and flirted with her-it was too much for her to take.

She hadn't even realized how much he meant to her until he was gone-and yet, the oddest thing seemed to happen to her in the span of two years-she continued on with her life, dating Izaya-sama, who was quite the gentleman in public, but acted a bit more cold and distant in private to her and sometimes even insulted her. What got her to wake up to Izaya-sama's true nature was probably when he had downright insulted Masaomi in front of her and called him a fool.

She could never forgive him for that-she wondered how Masaomi was doing, wherever he was. Whatever he was doing now, he would inevitably come back to find her, as Izaya had once said, she was his god and he would do anything to be with her. She simply could not think, for even a second, that Masaomi, that boy with that goofy smile, those handsome golden eyes of his, could be dead. It was simply impossible to her. But Izaya would laugh at her if she dared voice these thoughts, so she kept them to herself.

Today was the kind of day Masaomi would love-a bright, cheery sunny day, with no clouds in the sky and lots of girls were mingling about outside the hospital window, with their boyfriends and happily talking. The sight made her feel nostalgic in so many ways. No doubt if she had been with Masaomi, he would have flirted with both her and the other girls, even though they were already taken.

She could just remember some of his cheesy pick-up lines, like...'I'm dating seven girls at once, but I'll still wait for a reply from you on my cell phone!' She had laughed at that one. She remembered how he had gotten her; he had called her a lonely little princess who needed a knight in shining armor to look after her and make sure she got to her castle safely.

"Masaomi," She whispered, her lips in a tight frown. "What are you doing now?"

* * *

"Oh, Alibaba, you're simply wonderful!" The group of girls that are gathered around me croon as they all sit near me, wearing very revealing dresses. Not that I mind that. In fact, I enjoy this _very _much.

Aladdin is sitting near me, and he's practically in heaven as the girls are all swooning over him. Damn him, why is he always stealing the hotties away from me? It irks me, to be honest. i mean, I didn't get tossed back in time to not attract any women at all, did I? I mean, I'm over Saki!

"Is he your little brother? He's so cute!"

"How old are you?"

"He's so adorable!"

"He's my best friend, Aladdin!" I chirp, holding a woman close to me and cuddling her. "He's also good at picking out such cute girls like you!"

"Oh, Alibaba, you're _perfect!" _They coo, as I enjoy myself immensely.

"Do you know there's no woman on earth who is as sexy as you?" I ask the woman I am with, gazing into her lovely blue eyes. They remind me of Saki's for a brief moment, and I pause, but continue being the charmer. Oh, if only Mikado knew about his best friend's sex life...I could just picture his reaction and it was hysterical.

'_M-Masaomi, you mean to tell me you actually slept with girls?" He screeches, like the prude he is. _

_"Yup, Mikado. You're still new at the whole romance game, aren't you?" I whisper. _

"Alibaba-kun..."

Oh, shoot, I'm daydreaming again. I've gotta stop doing that. Now's not the time to venture into memoryland, especially not while I'm having fun with the ladies. Anything but that.

"Alibaba-kun, what are you thinking about?"

Shoot. I snap my gaze up to see her sitting on the bed, looking at me with a smile on her face. "...I was just thinking on things in the past, that's all." I mumble, blushing a little. I mean, she was...au naturel.

She giggles, her cheeks bright red. "Oh, Alibaba-kun, you're so handsome and perfect. What do your parents think of you?" She says as she comes over to match her lips with mine. Shoot, time to think of a convenient lie.

"...My parents are very proud of me, though I'm more like the prodigal son who gets lost all the time and never bothers to come home. I'm a dreamer, baby, and I think I just found my angel who fell down from heaven tonight to entertain me." Yes, I've still got the cheesy pick up lines going even while I'm kissing a girl. Boy, old habits die hard.

She laughs. "Well, then, I suppose they're going to have to let their cute son do what he wants, huh? You really _are_ a _very_ cute man, Alibaba," She purrs, cupping my chin.

I kiss her again, and oh...the rest? I'm not gonna mention it; you're just gonna have to picture it, my friends, cos this romanticist likes to keep some thoughts to himself. It makes it all the more painful for you, huh?

The next morning, everything hurts like hell and I think I'm happy, but...where is Aladdin?

"Oh no, don't tell me...he's only a little kid..." I cry out. Damn my friend for having the sex drive I have! Am I being a bad influence? No, wait, from the time I met Aladdin, he was already head over heels in love with the girls. I suppose that wouldn't be my fault now, would it? Oh. There he is.

Morgiana is hitting him hard. Apparently, she's not happy with the two of us. Hey, it was natural. And I've been stressing out over my past for too long, anyway. It was about time we take a bit of a break for once and then go explore another dungeon for fun.

I flip open my phone casually and then notice a few messages, one from Mikado. How can this be possible? Oh, maybe the genie is powering it with his magic. Either that, or else...somehow my phone could maybe send me back to the future. But would I really _want _to go back? I have everything I could ever want right here.

I read the message: '**Kida-kun, what was that all about? Why is your Japanese so terrible? And why did your phone number not exist when I tried to dial your number? What do you mean, you can't come see me! Are you in hiding or something? Please, Kida-kun, tell me what's going on...'**

I snap my phone shut. Apparently, I can receive messages, but I cannot send them, because phones do not exist yet and this thing is still alive because of Ugo's power. I guess I'm an anomaly of some sort in this time, hence why my memories of the future are fading. It's a scary thing. But I'm oddly satisfied by it.

I'm perfectly content, for the moment, at being here, in another time. Whatever the case, I doubt anyone back home would really believe time travel if they heard it, except for Izaya. No one else would be crazy enough to, right?

* * *

'I just saw this crazy documentary on people who've been thrown into the past and time travelled! I believe it, what if it's true? What if the people who've gone missing have been thrown into time!' Celty wailed, throwing herself into Shinra's arms.

Shinra chuckled. "That's not scientifically possible, Celty."

'My not having a head isn't scientifically probable to anyone besides you and your father, Shinra. Maybe it is true.' She wrote furiously on her device.

"You're just being silly. Time travel doesn't exist. You know, like that boy Izaya knew who tragically died...it was so sad, too."

'Who died? How?' Celty wrote.

"Basically, Izaya just decided to dissolve a gang and that was the Yellow Scarves, led by its leader, whose name escapes me at this moment. But he was thrown into a river and they never found his body to this day. He was only thirteen. Poor kid. But Izaya's quite a savage guy. He told me he didn't help because it was more amusing that way."

'Shinra, what if he was abducted by aliens? What if aliens came down and abducted Izaya and made him the crazy guy we know him as! What if this kid was kidnapped by aliens or fell into a dimensional portal!' Celty typed, not knowing how right she was.

"Those things don't exist, Celty. If that were true, we'd find every missing person." Shinra said softly.


	7. Seventh Exploration Fears come to light

**A/N:Just a note here, um, Alibaba/Kida is aquaphobic, due to nearly drowning, so bathing/swimming in water is kinda hard for him. It's a weakness he tries to hide desperately. It will be noted heavily here. Here we go to Kida/Alibaba as he lies asleep...and some other interesting things happen in this chapter. **

* * *

**Seventh Exploration Fears come to light**

'I had such a bizarre dream', I thought as I slowly came to, 'I dreamt that for some reason, I was sucked into the past and I was away from Mikado. It was a strange dream, indeed...'

Wait a second, it's no dream, I think, as I snap my eyes open, in time to realize that Aladdin, Morgiana, and I were camping out. The fire had been smothered by the raindrops that were now falling on the ground; apparently it had started to rain.

"Yeesh, too bad we can't find an inn for the night," I mutter, shaking myself off. When it comes to dungeon exploring, we just have to hike and spend time on the ground. Why on earth did I dream about that, again? About the day of my 'death' and Saki? Can I never stop thinking about it? I yawn and stretch to wake myself up.

'Mikado, what are you doing now?' I think. We had been busy exploring a dungeon and both Morgiana and Aladdin were so tired that they fell right asleep, leaving me as the only one who was awake. I had stayed up late guarding everyone, and apparently I'd fallen asleep. But then again, that's usually what I do. I'm usually the guard in these sorts of situations because I'm the oldest. Sometimes Morgiana is a guard, too. I yawned again; it was obvious that I should be getting some sleep, too.

Morgiana awakens then. She looks at me with tired eyes.

"Morning, Morgiana," I say before stretching. I'm barely awake as it is.

"Aren't you going to get some sleep?" She points out.

"Yeah, probably," I say, stifling a chuckle. "Do you wanna take over guarding the place?"

"Sure. It's your turn to sleep."

"Thanks, Morgiana," I mutter.

"No problem, Alibaba," She says, "I never would've believed you came from another time."

This startles me a little, so I look at her with bleary eyes. Remember, I'm trying to go back to sleep, so my vision isn't really the best right now.

"But you always seemed odd enough that I supposed it could be true."

"Yeah, I suppose," I say, "Aladdin is still asleep."

She looks at me and nods her head. "Yeah, well, he sleeps like a log."

"_Good nigh_t," I say sarcastically.

"You're probably gonna want to only sleep for a few hours, since the sun is rising soon," She says.

"Whatever," I say, "Besides, it's not like there are any clocks in this time besides the sun. The only clocks we have are in the rise and fall of the sun, when you think about it," I mutter, as I fall asleep.

* * *

_I'm falling, down through my memories. I briefly recall one of the times that my fear of water got the better of me; I think it all started when I was thrown into the bathtub carelessly by my mother and she nearly drowned me in a fit of rage. Since then, I was terrified of the water. My near-death of drowning by the hands of Izumii only made it worse on me. I remember the first time I landed in a dungeon with Aladdin...my fear of water kinda intensified there. _

_I'm drowning...I can't breathe...it feels like my lungs were burning, gasping for air. Immediately, I panicked. All of my senses were trying hard to fight. I felt like I was going to die, again, again, again. I brought my head up out of the water and breathed, deeply. Instantly, I shot my head up, gagging, trying hard to bring every last drop of water out of my throat. _

_"I thought I **almost** died," I gasped, "Geez, Alibaba, when are you going to do something about this fear of water of yours? It's so stupid."_

_But I was right that time, since there were explosives in the water.  
_

_I see myself and Mikado playing, we're both very young. Mikado is crying, for some reason. _

_"What's wrong, Mikado?" I ask, patting his head. He looks at me with watery eyes. _

_"M-Masaomi, people are picking on me again today."_

_"It's all right," I say, "They're just jealous of you. I'll go talk to the teachers."_

_"They never do anything about it," Mikado whines, "They don't believe me," He sobs. _

_I wipe his tears away and smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure that I can solve your problems for you." _

_"Then they'll bully you, too," Mikado says._

_"Don't worry, I don't care what people think of me." I say, and it's true. I never really feared being picked on or bullied by people. That is, until I wound up in this new world where the fear of execution was so strong inside me that I suppose I wound up becoming a bit of a suck-up. Because back then, to me, staying alive was what mattered. Even if it meant losing myself, or losing everything I cared about. _

_I would do it, I would survive. But back then, I was just a naive little kid, and I didn't fear consequences, so whenever I got beaten up, I didn't really care. Yeesh. I guess I sure changed. _

* * *

I smile then as I awaken several hours later, feeling better but still kind of tired. I'm not sure exactly why I dreamed of my fear of water. It's more like I can't swim in water or bathe without getting terrified and scrabbling out. Aladdin has noticed this before. I'm fine with drinking water.

It's most unlike me, a brave prince. But you know, I suppose I can't help it, considering my past and stuff. Still, I've gotta try harder i order to be brave, but that's not what a ruler should be like at all. Nah, maybe I'm just making excuses for myself. You know how I am. I'm the kind of guy who likes to run away from his problems, rather than face them head-on.

It's cowardly, I know. But when have I ever been one to face problems directly?

"Hey, Aladdin, it sure was fun with those girls last night, wasn't it?"

He smiles at me, "Yeah, it was!"

"They really were some of the nicest ladies I ever met. But for some reason, my head hurts like crazy..." I mumble.

"Is that because you two got drunk?" Morgiana points out.

I laugh. "Yeah, maybe I did get a little drunk."

"Men," She scoffs, "Always doing stupid things."

"Hey, Morgiana, I offered you a drink and you didn't want it. Why?" I ask.

"I'm not stupid like that," She says.

"You just don't have any fun, do you?" I say in annoyance.

"No, that's not it, I just don't wanna be drunk." She says.

"Ah, what are we gonna do?" I say, knowing that now I have a hangover. "Is that why I slept in so long?"

"Yep, even if you two don't remember being drunk, I do. I saw both of you getting pretty drunk."

"Well, Alibaba Saluja just can't help it! The ladies are drawn to men who like alcohol, didn't you know?" I say cheerily.

"Last I checked, they didn't like drunks." She says scornfully, which causes me to fall to the ground melodramatically.

"Ah, the great Alibaba has been scorned by the great Morgiana! Please, Morgiana, have mercy!"

"No," She says, coldly.

"Ohh, maybe, just maybe, one day the two of us will actually get along, you know?"

"Nope, never,"

"You are so meannn!" I moan.

"I'm not mean," She says, "I'm just not interested in doing those kinds of stupid things. And don't you two think you're like wasting time when you could be getting me back to my land?"

"Uh, right!" I say, "That is _very_ high on our list, Morgiana-chan! Would you like me to carry you or something?" I say gallantly.

"No thank you, I'm perfectly capable of walking."

"Ah, I've been rejected by Morgiana and it hurts!" I moan melodramatically. I always did this when I was with Mikado as well.

"It's your fault, you know," Morgiana says as she bites into a piece of fruit. Man, sometimes I miss TV dinners. Sometimes.

"Hey, Alibaba, what was your friend like?" Aladdin asks, again.

"Well, he's a big chicken," I say, "He's scared, easily. Who knows, though?"

I continue eating and then swallow. "He could've changed, just like I have. And someday, I vow that I will see him again."

"I'm sure you will! Ugo and I will help you with that."

"Yeah, thanks, Aladdin," I say, smiling at him. How he reminds me of Mikado. It hurts, sometimes. But I'm healing, you know. I barely even think of Saki.

* * *

"Um, Sonohara-san, would you like to go out sometime?" Mikado says, looking at his best friend Anri with pleading eyes.

"No, Ryugamine-kun. I'm fine with you as my friend."

"But...I-I...I have a crush on you, and I'd really like it if we went out together!"

Her face reddens. "U-Um, I'm sorry but I don't think I'm worthy of loving anyone." She admits, "So I can't love anyone. You're better off with someone else-"

"I don't care about Saika, Sonohara-san."

This causes her to look at him in surprise as he continues. He's been waiting all day for this chance.

"Well, I...I really love how determined and strong you are! I love that about you! You're brave and kind, even if you aren't aware of it."

She blushes deeply. "Ryugamine-kun..."

"And that's why I'm saying I won't give up, and I don't want you to give up, either, Sonohara-san."

"My, my, what am I interrupting here?" The cold voice of one Orihara Izaya says, as he stopped Mikado from his fateful confession.

"Izaya!" Mikado says sharply. "What do you want?"

"I see you're with Saika-chan here."

"Haven't I told you not to call her that?" Mikado says.

"Ooh, putting on your evil side, aren't you, Mikado-kun? I love that evil side of you, why don't you show it more often?"

"Because I don't want to scare Sonohara-san."

"It's okay, Ryugamine-kun," Anri says, shooting a glare at Izaya, "I know how to handle myself."

"Hmm, even so..." Izaya says, tauntingly. "It is most amusing watching you try to serenade a talking sword."

"This coming from the guy who loves all of humanity and yet mistreats them all? What's the point of that?" Mikado snapped sharply.

"Oh, Mikado-kun, what have I told you before about questioning my methods? Brutal though they may be..._just like the loss of Kida-kun. _Sometimes there are innocent people that pay the price for whenever you cross me, huh?"

"Don't you ever insult him!" Mikado said, but then Aoba appeared and grabbed Anri.

"Sonohara-san!" Mikado cried.

"So why don't you either do as I say or else Aoba-kun will kill Sonohara?" Izaya said mockingly.

"There's no way I'm doing anything you say," Aoba spat. He hated this man.

"Oh, Aoba-kun, I've already told Ran-kun about this stuff. I might invite your brother back into your life again." He said, "Well, have fun!" He said as he ran off.

"He wants you to do something for him," Aoba said darkly.

"And what would that be?" Mikado said.

"I don't know and don't care," Aoba spat.

"IF only Kida-kun were here, he could put that guy in his place," Mikado said sadly.

"Kida would probably be as underpowered as you are."

"Let Aladdin go _right_ now," I say, pulling out my dagger on the bandits, who look at me as I cut their robes and they scream and run in terror. "Cowards," I spat.

"I could've gotten him with Ugo," Aladdin complains. "But thanks, Alibaba. You're so strong."

"Yeah, I could even scare Izaya. Izaya's the most cruel, despicable person around. He's as bad as Judal."

Izaya sneezed. For some reason, he had a feeling someone was talking bad about him. As he met with his friend Shinra, Shinra seemed to have something interesting to tell him.

"Izaya, you know Celty and I were talking about an interesting theory..."

"What kind of interesting theory?" Izaya said, his interest piqued.

"She wonders if time travel is real. Like if people fall into other dimensions and stuff."

Izaya quirked a brow and then laughed. "That's totally unlikely. I think Celty's just letting her imagination run wild."

"What if it was possible, though? What if people who supposedly die fall into other dimensions and they're still alive? Like that guy-"

"I'm sure Masaomi Kida is dead. No way he's alive. I saw him die with my own two eyes-"

"That's probably what he's thinking," I say, "But, nope, I'm still alive, I'm still breathing,and I'll let him feel pain like he's never felt before."


	8. Eighth Exploration Sinbad finds out

_A/N:let's go with this chapter. Alibaba is now gonna talk about his problems to Sinbad. I have not seen his interaction in canon, only via roleplays, but I think he views him as some kind of role model, so I think he would trust him enough by now to tell him secrets. So let's get down to business. Hey, there might be some repetition but I intend on going back over Alibaba's memories a tiny bit, to see some subtle differences, as such, if some things are the same, please remind me. I intend on focusing on Kida's loneliness in the new world, with some new details revealed. Please have your tissues nearby in case you need them. _

_""The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly."_

* * *

― _F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby _

_Eighth Exploration Sinbad Enters the Picture and the Prince remembers how he got there_

I knew Sinbad was gonna wind up finding out soon enough, I mean the guy has a bad habit of starting trouble just by being there when things happen. And he knew me well enough to know that I'm a troublemaker through and through, so of course he'd start asking me questions. He asked me the usual discourse, how I was faring in Balbadd, whether I'd asked any cute girls out yet or not (hey, it was serious business, you know) and that sort of thing.

If there was one thing at all that's changed about me from being here, it's that my language-and my way of speaking has altered greatly from how it was when I was in the twenty-first century. I speak a language that Mikado wouldn't understand in a million years, I use words I only saw people use in shows like Monty Python or in Don Quixote, I have become more formal and educated. Not that it's a bad thing, of course, I have discovered that books, before the Internet was made, were practically the ancient Internet in one.

And basically word of mouth in these times is the Internet, there are just no typing fingers, no chat rooms to connect with people distantly, no servers, no mice, no speakers. That means no music, no headphones. It took me quite a while to explain what these things were to Morgiana and Aladdin, seeing as they didn't understand how you could obtain instant music and listen to it in your ears-Aladdin kept asking if it would hurt your ears as well.

I suppose there's no way I could get them to understand something they've never experienced, but hey, I've adjusted to life without cell phones, internet, or television (though it sucks, I really did enjoy reading comic books and cute girl magazines, and now I won't ever be able to enjoy an instant meal ever again.) But I don't have to suffer through boring classes every day, I don't have to do homework, and since I'm a prince, that means I can have OTHERS bring me anything I want, even girls!

That's one of the best things about the whole being a prince thing, ha ha! Who says princes can't have it all? But you know the one thing we princes desire above all else? Company and friends. In a business like this, you don't get many friends like Mikado or Aladdin or Morgiana. That's why they're so precious to me that I fight to protect them. Even if there ever comes a time where I am not a prince and I am not in control, I will not be that same, helpless boy who cried out alone on the streets, lost and forsaken, I will not be the scared Shogun again.

I know better than that now. I will never return to being Izaya's lapdog ever again. That much is a guaranteed. And now I can tell Sinbad is probably growing annoyed with me for spacing out, but I have a damned good reason for doing so.

"Alibaba-kun, is something wrong? You seem troubled by something," He says, looking at me smugly. Damn him and his similarity to Izaya, with the exception that he's not an evil prick like Izaya is! That's more Judal's specialty. Which is why he and I don't get along. Because he reminds me of that guy who nearly killed me, who ruined my life.

But in a way, in ways _he_ never imagined, he's allowed me to take my revenge and become my own kind of god in a way, too, so I can't wait until I can give him a huge thank you punch, right in his face. Boy, am I looking forward to that day..._I am._

"Oh, um, what were we talking about again, Sinbad?" I say, shooting him a short smile.

"There seems to be something on your mind. Something you wish to tell me. But you are hesitating."

"I have no reason to hesitate anymore," I say flatly, "Sinbad, I would like you to know...my past. This is something you cannot tell anyone else, understand? It's _very important_."

He looks at me for a long moment. "Very well,_ go on_."

"...For starters, my birth name was not Alibaba."

This surprises him. "What?"

"Yes...I was born, or rather I _will be_ born, not in this country of Balbadd like you know it, but in Japan...over_ two thousand years_ from now. In the future, basically. My name there was Kida Masaomi, and I was an ordinary child, very much so, with a best friend I was determined to do anything for. Until the day I made the stupid mistake of starting a gang and got involved with the wrong people who tried to drown me and...they nearly killed me. I remember thinking as I was falling...that I both wanted to die and live, two contradictory things, you can imagine...and then everything went black. I remember thinking for the longest time that I was dead...because how could I not be, I had drowned, after all. So you can imagine my confusion when I found myself surrounded by nothing but sand..."

"Is this true?" He says, pausing to straighten his shirt collar for a moment, much to my annoyance, "It's not a tall tale?"

Jafar sighs, and I notice Masrur is also there, watching me with calm eyes. I can never tell what he's thinking. He's like Morgiana in that regard.

"Hm, so you're from another time, Prince Alibaba?" Jafar asks, shooting Sinbad an annoyed look, "And, Sin, please don't ridicule Alibaba. Listen to him."

"Really now? Interesting," Is all Masrur says, staring at me with piercing eyes. "I thought you smelled...of another world, of somewhere other than Sindria."

"Really, Masrur? How interesting! But is this all some dream or fairy tale you made up, Ali-" Only for him to be jabbed by Jafar's staff.

"Sin!" He snaps.

"Fine, I'll listen. You sure this isn't a lie-"

"No, Sinbad. This is _true_, and it all happened to me," I say, closing my eyes and allowing myself to fall back once more into those painful memories. But they're a part of me, I may as well accept them for now, at least.

"...And when I opened my eyes...this is what I saw..." I say, and as I begin to speak, Sinbad and Jafar listen intently. I'm not sure when Jafar came in the room, but I know he overheard my conversation with Sinbad, not that I minded, as Jafar seemed to pretty much keep Sinbad in control when he was acting up and pissing people off, almost like a parent would. Sinbad was almost...a father figure in my eyes. I'd never be privileged enough to have one. As I started talking, I closed my eyes, allowing the most painful memories of my life to hit me again, reliving every moment of it, as though it were happening to me all over again, even though it wasn't, really. These memories had to be told, and if _anyone_ would believe me, it'd be the grand king and adventurer, Sinbad. He'd listen.

* * *

_I was drowning. I could feel the water burning my lungs, even as my hands desperately flailed around in the water, I was sinking, I was dying. I knew it. Let me die a painful death, at least, to make up for me failing Saki. I could at least die with honor. _

_Everything was spinning, but that was okay. I hated myself. I could die like this. I could,right? Right? And the last thing that I remembered seeing was the water flooding my vision, me sinking lifelessly to the bottom...and that is...how I...died? _

_I was lying on something soft, so soft that I could barely move, I felt so relaxed. Also, there was something hot like the wind rustling across me. As I tried to open my eyes at that moment, I felt something hard and grainy hit them. Instantly, I cursed, shutting my eyes again, allowing myself to calm down enough to try to open them again without being hurt this time. What had fallen into my eyes, anyway? _

_At that second, my eyes opened. I felt pain. Lots of it, and something hot burning down on me. I rolled over, only for my hands to meet something equally burning hot. It felt grainy under my fingers, kind of like...sand? Instantly, my vision came back into focus as I felt my hair, my clothes, everything. I was **completely** dry. Had I dreamed all of it? But as I saw my clothes, saw my bruised and bleeding leg, (which now had a cut on it in the shape of a sword) and saw my surroundings, I knew I hadn't. _

_"Shit..." I cursed, letting out a cry of pain as I tried to stand up. My leg hurt too much. Most likely, those bastards had slashed my leg so bad to the point that it had become numb, and if I didn't get it treated fast, I might bleed to death. It wasn't broken, but with it bleeding like that, I needed help, and fast. Hissing, I tried to sit up. It still hurt. My arms hurt as well. _

_And I was so thirsty as well. Never had I felt so thirsty before in my life. It irritated me. I sighed, almost as though winding up on the beach was a natural thing. It was then as I tried to sit up some more and that my gaze went to what was before me and my mouth fell open then. _

_I wasn't on a beach. There was nothing before my eyes but sand. I was in a freaking desert. What the hell was going on? No wonder it was so hot. I stared at my sweatshirt, it was ripped in a few places and full of sand, too. No traces of being damp at all. But the heat felt strangely...nice on my body, almost like it was...healing it. Was that a good or bad thing, I wondered?  
_

_What was going on here? It was then that I noticed a faint golden gleam of something. I reached out and grabbed it. It was a...piece of my yellow scarf. All that was left of it...as it had been torn into pieces before my eyes...tears fell out of my eyes then as I held it with trembling fingers.  
_

_"How...can they be so cruel?" I whispered, but as I held it, I noticed something shiny come falling out of my pocket and land in the sand, also covered in sand. Annoyed, I picked it up, realizing it was my cell phone. It had fallen out, and was dry as well. "Damned sand," I cursed as I shook it off and then dialed Saki's number first. What was I gonna say, hi, Saki, weather's fine and hot as hell, I'm alive, but come pick me up, I'm in the middle of the damned desert! Like she'd believe that. _

_It was then that I also noticed I couldn't reach her. The line was dead. I tried Mikado's next._

_"Maybe he'll answer me," I mumbled, "It's not the end of the world, Masaomi...it isn't," I said, my voice shaking. Oddly enough, he wouldn't answer either. _

_The only message on there was a blinking message that said: **Error, server cannot be found. It does not exist. No server is available in your area. Please try again later. **_

_"DAMN IT! STUPID DESERT! I HATE THIS! WHY WON'T IT WORK?" I cursed, throwing the phone against the ground. OF course, since it was just sand, it merely sank down in the sand. I fished it out again and put it in my pocket, pausing to shake myself off and get the sand out of my hoodie, hair, and face. It was everywhere. _

_There was a new email in my inbox from Izaya. It said, 'By the time you read this, the owner of this cell phone will certainly be dead. Kida Masaomi committed suicide in an attempt to end his utterly pathetic and stupid life and drowned himself, knowing he couldn't swim. His poor parents are so grateful to me, they call me his one and only friend...' _

_I snapped my phone shut, **too angry** to think straight. "But right now...I need help, some medicine, some water...and..." _

_A loud rumbling interrupted me. _

_"And, apparently, food as well," I finished, blushing a little. It was then, as I stood up a little, that I noticed something moving. It was...a...caravan or something? What? Did I stumble in on some kind of movie set? _

_"Um, hello!" I called out, in Japanese, but I don't think they understood, but they definitely saw me. They were approaching. 'Oh, good, I thought. I can get out of here!'_

_"Can you help me?" I said. _

_The men that stepped out did not look friendly. They eyed me up and down, whispering in a language I didn't understand. _

_"Um, what? What did you say...? I need help...I'm sick and injured..." I trailed off, but then my eyes widened as I saw that these guys were very huge, very muscular, and looked very hostile as they pointed swords at me. _

_Wait, swords? I couldn't get away! I was surrounded by nutcases holding swords. So instead of helping me, they put me atop a camel, tied me up, and ate food in front of me and talked, ignoring me completely. _

_"What kind of joke is this? Let me go, dammit!" I cried, aiming a punch at one of them. But I couldn't reach them. I was tied up. One of the men laughed at the scene, and then another reached over and smiled as he cheerily slugged me hard in the gut, right where Izumii Ran had slugged me, so that just increased the pain. _

_Pain...never had I felt such searing pain before...I lurched down on the camel, cursing at them. But they just laughed some more and kicked me. Each time, it hurt worse and worse. _

_"F-Fuck you!" I yelped, giving them the finger. Apparently, they understood that, because I received a sharp punch to my ribs, which caused me to gag and cough up blood. Everything hurt so much. Why was today everyone beats up on Masaomi Kida day? _

_"I...need water," I muttered. When they stared at me blankly, I made a few gestures. But when I realized they still didn't understand what I meant, I sighed and raised a hand to my lips, as though sipping a liquid. "You know...water?"_

_Finally, they relented and handed me an odd flask, and there was water inside. _

_"T-Thanks," I mumbled, but as soon as I lowered it to my mouth to sip the water, the water leaked out and spilled all over my hair, my shirt, and my jeans, and my torn socks. My shoes had somehow disappeared in the ocean or desert. The desert sun was burning my body, too, and my feet. _

_"...Let me go!" I cried. Apparently, complaining was universal to any language, because I received another whack. _

_"**Where** are you taking me?" I demanded.  
_

_Another sharp smack, this time to my shoulder. _

_"I'm hurt...I'm bleeding, tired, hungry...and!" _

_Another smack to the leg. Everything hurt so goddamned much. The men just laughed at me and one of them pulled out a shiny silver thing and waved it in front of my eyes, smirking in triumph. _

_What was that? Wait...were they...SHACKLES? Like, for slaves back in the old days? Where the hell was I? I protested and whined and moaned all the way to a village, but I suppose they must have gotten sick of me, because they shoved me off and rode off, laughing as I lay in the dirt, coughing and standing up. _

_"...What is wrong with them?" I mumbled. I saw I was in some kind of small village. There were some cute girls my age! They were looking at me. Despite my bedraggled state, I smiled. _

_"Hey there, wanna go out with me?"I cried out to one, but she took one look at me and screamed, running into her house, followed by her sister. Her mother came up to me, said something loud and slapped me, and then slammed her door shut in my face. _

_"...What was that all about?" I mumbled, sitting on the ground. I didn't understand why people were being so cold and cruel. _

_A woman shoved past me. I was starting to pick up some of the language...at least, a little bit. "Get thyself out of the way, commoner scum." _

_Anger surged through me as I got back up. _

_Weeks passed as I wandered through village after village, getting the same cold, dirty looks...I was getting weaker and weaker. Even though I managed to steal some food, it never lasted. My leg was starting to itch badly and swell a little, my clothing was by now mere rags, and I was never so hungry in my whole life. _

_"Please," I begged, "Please...give me some food," I said to a man as he looked at me through his door. He gave me the deepest look of contempt and then handed me a piece of bread. I stopped then as I saw it was the filthiest, dirtiest piece I'd ever seen. He slapped it out of my hands then and it landed in the dirt. _

_"You want your food, you'll eat it if it's on the dirty ground, filthy beggar. Your kind isn't wanted here! I don't waste my hard-earned expenses on poor nobles! Get lost!" _

_He slammed the door shut again. I ate the bread anyway. I puked right afterward and cried...these were probably the most debilitating and saddest weeks of my life. I don't understand how I survived. No one does. _

_I suppose I must have just gotten used to my lonely atmosphere and taken advantage of it in order to live a happy life, by stealing. And then I met Cassim..._

Sinbad looks serious while he ponders all that I've told him. I fidget slightly, wondering what he's going to think of me. Then he smiles.

"Oh, poor, Alibaba-kun, I know what you're thinking...you've been all lost and alone your entire life...no one's ever shown you any kindness.." He mocks.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW!" I cry, in annoyance. I mean, c'mon, I'd just told him my life story and now he was mocking me? How dare he! My cheeks flushed red in anger.

"I'm kidding, Alibaba-kun. I believe you. You've obviously gone through a lot, haven't you? But you're determined and strong. You can prevail over anything that happens." He says, smiling at me ambiguously. _Why is_ that guy so hard to read? Ugh...

"Alibaba, what did you two talk about?" Aladdin asks.

"Nothing too serious, Aladdin! Just about women and stuff!" I say.


	9. Ninth Exploration dreams

A/N:Prepare for a fun omake at the end of the next chapter. It's based a bit on Avatar the last Airbender, where Aang meets bumi and Bumi fools around with him a bit. Kida will meet Mikado again and bully him a little until Mikado figures out who he really is. :D It'll be fun coming up with ideas for this story. Usually listening to Stop and Stare or Numb can trigger up ideas for this awesome fanfic of mine. It's such a heartbreaking yet ingenious idea of mine. Damn, I love angst so much. Well, first, I'm doing a little short flashback on Alibaba's life in the palace, then a flashback to the present, and then finally the funny omake on if Alibaba met Mikado again, something which WILL happen in the future. Also, think of this as his _past, _regular as his present, and then the omake as his possible future. It'll be a monster chapter, okay? Two parts of his past, one of his present and one of a possible future. :D

* * *

Ninth Exploration Dreams of the past intermingle with those of the future.

_Past: Young Alibaba/Kida with his father in the palace_

_"So what's the first thing you want me to do, father?" I asked my new adopted father as we wandered throughout the palace. And boy, was it amazing. I mean, as a kid, I'd had fantasies about being a prince in a palace, but never did I think I'd get the opportunity to do so. This is so...new to me. _

_"First of all, my son, you must never let anyone find out that you are not my son by blood." _

_"So just because I'm adopted, that means I can't get the throne legally if people were to find out?" I asked. He looked at me and nodded. _

_"Yes," He said grimly. "My wife tried many, many times to have a child, but she had several miscarriages, and one was stillborn. She died giving birth to our last child, who didn't survive. So you can be my surrogate son." _

_I nodded my head, unable to say anything in response. I mean, my real parents disowned me and my mother tried to drown me in a fit of rage, and my father left us a long time ago. This was the first time I'd ever heard an adult say something to me that didn't sound like they were using me in the slightest. _

_"And this will be your room, my son," He said, before opening a door and showing me into a huge room. My mouth fell open. I never imagined I'd have this much stuff. Imagine the look on Mikado's face if he were to see this sight before him or what he would say: _

_"Masaomi, you're now rich? Holy crap!" _

_A smile comes and goes on my face as I remember that I can't see him anymore...he doesn't exist in this world. I brushed off those feelings right away and instead smiled. _

_"Wah, it's so big, I mean, it doesn't look right without the TV, doesn't it? Where could we put a TV, father?" _

_"What's a TV?" He asked, looking at me in confusion. _

_"Um, nothing," I lied, quickly covering up that. No need to get myself caught right now. Sighing, I turned back to my father, ignoring his confused look. _

_"Is there something you wanted to tell me?" He asked. _

_"Uh..." I said, wondering how exactly I was supposed to explain that I was from a thousand years in the future, it'd sound so weird. _

_"You said you came from some faraway village, is that correct?" _

_"Yeah, a village known as Tokyo," I confessed._

_"Then that must be in the Far East, then," He said. "I shall have to teach you how to speak Arabic. Can you read?"_

_"Y-Yeah, I can," I said, wondering why he was asking such a question. Didn't everyone know how to-then I remembered where I was. _

_"Good. It would not do for a royal prince to not know how to read." He said. _

_So my royal education began. It was nothing like I thought it'd be-it was totally a new walk in the park for Kida Masaomi, who, after years of neglect by his parents, was actually getting an active parent. I was so used to sneaking off to run away from my parents that I still had a habit of being up late and walking around. _

_I decided I'd get up and go take a walk outside or something. _

_"Prince Alibaba, what do you think you're doing out of your bed so late at night?" _

_Oops. Maybe I wasn't quiet enough. I was escorted back, sulking. This was nothing like I thought it'd be. I couldn't do anything without people following me around or sucking up to me. It was a royal pain in the ass. Pun not intended. _

_A few days passed and I decided to try again. _

_'Prince Alibaba this, Prince Alibaba that, god, this is annoying! I'm sick and tired of this! I'm gonna put on my socks and boots and then I'm gonna sneak out! No one will even notice me! Ha ha ha!' I thought in triumph, smirking at my own bravery. _

_I tiptoed out, quietly. _

_"My son, what do you think you are doing out at such a late hour?" _

_"A-Ah, h-h-hello, Father...I-I was just thinking of taking a walk outside of the palace..." I stammered, my Arabic still a little shaky. _

_"You can take a walk during the DAYLIGHT HOURS, with a guard by your side. If you are thinking of running away, well that won't happen. I don't want my son getting hurt." _

_Tch, I tried many, many times afterward to run away, mostly because I was terrified of getting hurt again, and because I wasn't used to such cumbersome tasks being forced upon me. I mean, __**me, one day supporting an entire nation? **__I was a lonely kid who formed a gang. _

_I wanted to get back to Mikado, but no matter how hard I tried, it never worked. I tried many, many times to see if this was all a dream, but it never worked. _

_"Your Highness, Prince Alibaba is missing! We cannot find him!" _

_"...Not again..." _

_Many times I decided that with my expertise at disguise, I would roam around as a commoner and thus I wouldn't be chased by guards. I now kinda envied the lives of the commoners. They didn't have people following them everywhere, and they certainly didn't have anyone telling them what to do every single second of their lives. _

_"Find Prince Alibaba! He may be in disguise! You there, have you seen the Prince?" A guard asked; where I was hiding. My hands went to the yellow scarf I had tied around my neck, just for old times' sake. I didn't know why, but I had been drawn to it. _

_"No, but I saw a young man earlier who was wearing funny clothes and he asked about something and asked for somewhere to hide-" _

_"That must be the prince! Let's go get him! You there, are you Prince Alibaba?" _

_Shit. I was caught. "A-Ah..." _

_"Your father has been looking all over for you! What have you done?" _

_"Let me go, I just wanna go back home!" I whined. _

_"You ARE going back home," They said. _

_"How many times has this been, my son?" My father said crossly. I was a whiny, angsty teenage brat who couldn't respect authority if it hit him in the face. _

_"Um...the fifteenth attempt?" I said lightly..._

_"You are only fourteen and yet you have tried this over and over! First, you tried to sneak out of your room by using a blanket to throw out the window! But it didn't work and you hurt your leg. And the second time you attempted to sneak out with the maids by crossdressing." _

_"That didn't work out very well now, did it?" I said cheekily. _

_"This is like the fifth time you've dressed as a commoner! Have you no shame?" My old man said, and damn it, I couldn't look him in the eye. _

_"S-Sorry, father, I...I..." _

_"What am I gonna do with you? I adopted you out of the goodness of my heart and the last thing I want is for people to discover that my son is not biologically my own. I might just have a heart attackkkk!" _

_"Okay, okay, Father, I won't run away again!" _

_"Good. Because of this, I have decided to move your sword training lessons up to two times a day..." He said. Damn him and his Izaya-like ways. _

_"T-Two times a day? F-Father, you know I'm not really good with athletics and whatnot," I said. _

_"Exactly my point, now go back to your room and think over what you have done. You will not be permitted outside without a guard for a week!" _

_"Urgh..." I said, not liking this at all, how was this fun at all? What I'd give to be back with Mikado in a heartbeat..._

_"Is something wrong, your Majesty?"_

_"Please, just call me Ki-er, Alibaba," I pleaded. _

_"Sure, your highness. I have been taught to be as polite as possible to you." _

_I sighed. _

_"Prince Alibaba, are you ready to practice your swordfighting skills?" _

_"Heck yeah, I'm ready! I'm gonna wield this sword like a samurai!" _

_"You must strike to kill! There is no mercy!" He said sharply. _

_It took me a few years until I could grasp it, of course. _

* * *

_-A few days later-_

_During the day, I was able to have fun with my father and prank him. But there were darker, more serious reasons why I intended to run away from the palace and stay away from my bed...for I was scared of myself and what I might dream up. I was terrified of my own self. _

_Isn't that pathetic? I'm utterly terrified of my own mind...and I don't know who I am anymore._

_Some days, I'm Kida Masaomi, and others, I'm not him, I'm just someone else, drifting in Kida Masaomi's memories, trying to be the boy his father expects him to be. _

_But wait...didn't I have another mother somewhere before? _

_I see a bathtub filled with bubbling water, which a toddler is playing with happily, pushing the levers up and down, filling it all the way to the top, unheeding of the water tipping over the edge. Is that me? _

_Then, a woman with long brown hair comes in. I can't see her face...I don't recognize it...is that my own mother? Her lips are twisted in fury as she grabs the brown-haired boy's hand and yanks him away from it, forcefully, throwing him against the side of the room, where he hits the door, and a snap is heard. She has twisted my little arm. _

_I watch the younger version of me cry in pain, and the mother frantically tries to get the water to go down, and when it doesn't go down fast enough, she grabs hold of my arm and then yells at me, calling me a filthy disgusting thing and then throws me in the tub with water. _

_Yes, my mother...never loved me. In fact, she was cruel...remarkably cruel. She blamed me for my father's disappearance...and she tried to kill me several times as a child. That time was the most terrifying, however, because I remember desperately trying to reach back up to the surface for air and her trying to push me back down. Fortunately, I managed to survive that, but after that, I hated water. I really hated it. I hated getting bathed, showers, swimming, that sort of thing. _

_The dreams shift into another one. Once again, they are being hurt before my eyes, Mikado dying before my eyes, me splashing frantically in the water like some kind of idiot, and Saki looking at me with cold eyes. _

_"You failed," Mikado says coldly. "You're a failure." _

_"That's not true! I've conquered dungeons, and I'm gonna be a king!" _

_"You abandoned us and left us to die," They both say coldly before shoving me aside and laughing. _

_"It's not my fault! I'm a prince now and I can help you! Mikado, I-" _

_"You're nothing but a pathetic coward. I hate you, Masaomi. Never speak to me again." Mikado says before turning and walking away. _

_"Wait, Mikado! Wait!" I cry out. "Mikado, wait!" _

_I'm drowning...I'm drowning again...I can't move...I'm paralyzed. I'm afraid...I'm going to die...before I even get the chance to apologize to Mikado...I'm gonna die...no, no, no, no..._

_"No!" _

_I lurch up in bed. Frantically, I raised my head and ran a hand up to my forehead. Strands of blond hair met my gaze. I blinked a few times and then the royal covers met my gaze. _

_"Oh," I mumbled. "It was just a dream...Mikado would never turn on me like that, would he? I mean, I'm only fourteen, there's no way he would hate me...is there? Would he really be so wicked?" _

_My elbow hurts from where I whacked it with my sword today. Nothing was taken lightly in this world. I just had to get used to that. That was the way of this world. _

_"Aw, dammit! Why can't my life be simple for once in my life? Wake me up!" I cried, hitting my head. It didn't work. _

_A servant came in at that point, asking me what was wrong. I assured her it was nothing and went outside to wander around a little bit. That was when I spotted a very familiar-looking person with dark hair. For a second, I thought of Mikado, but stopped. It had to be him. _

_"Cassim?" I said. He turned at the sound of my voice and spotted me. _

_"Alibaba?" He said, "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" _

_I noticed my father smile as Cassim and I hugged. _

_"You've grown a little taller, Cassim," I said. _

_"And you've gotten more muscle on you. You're not that skinny waif I found." _

_"S-Shut up! I'm doing fine!" I said with a laugh. "As a matter of fact, I'm learning how to do swordplay." _

_"I know how to do that, too. You ought to show me sometime." _

_"You should be glad I'm not Shizuo Heiwajima, then! I'd throw a vending machine at you!" _

_"Who's that?" _

_"Oh, he was this guy I knew back in my village. He was really, really, tough, Cassim. He could pick up huge pieces of buildings and he could throw them at people. Like a tree or a huge rock or even a caravan." _

_Cassim's mouth falls open. "That's unbelievable." _

_"Yeah, he and this other guy used to fight all the time. Everybody would look at them. He could probably pick up a camel and he never gets bruises on his body."_

_"Some village you have there!" Cassim said. _

_"Yeah, I kinda miss it a little, though..." I admitted. _

_"It's from Japan. Japan is full of interesting things! Someday I'll take you there, Cassim!" I said. _

_"I'll think about it!" He said, looking quite interested. _

_"Father, why are you dying? I don't want you to die." _

_"You'll have to take over for me..." _

_"No...this can't be happening...everything's falling apart again...I've tried so hard...yet I can't do this..." I cried. _

_-After fleeing the palace..._

_"What's going on? I need to survive..." _

_"Get out of the way, you filthy peasant! How dare you trespass on this place!" _

_Oh crap, that's right, I wasn't seen as a prince here, merely a commoner. Time to play it cool. _

_"Ah, sorry sir! I am but a mere peasant who wishes to find work!" _

_Day in, day out, I had to endure putting up with lazy nobles. But I suppose it served a purpose, didn't it? _

_'Remember, this Masaomi. Every single time you disobey, you will get punished.' _

_That girl, being beaten up by Budel...it's just like...Saki...when I heard Saki screaming my name while she was being beaten up...I was forced to listen...but this time I was forced to watch...and listen..._

_Once more, I can't do anything...I can't stop it...how weak and powerless am I...? _

_No...no, I won't let that happen again...not to anyone else!_

_"LEAVE HER ALONE! PEOPLE'S LIVES MATTER, YOU IDIOT!" _

_It helped when I envisioned Izaya's face when I punched him. _

_Still, despite all that, I'm still weak and pitiful..._

_"Alibaba-kun, I'm proud to call you my friend." _

_"I-It's not true, Aladdin," I said. _

_He looked at me in confusion. _

_"I-I'm far from a brave person. I let my girlfriend get hurt once and I ran away without trying to help her. You saw...I'm definitely terrified of water...I'm a big coward, I run away from things all the time! I don't deserve to be your friend?" _

_"What are you talking about? You're a brave person because you saved someone else's life, as for that girl, I'm sure you were the world to her. And you did your best. You're brave. Look at the way you conquered that dungeon! You kicked ass. And that's why you'll always be __**my **__friend." _

_I feel tears spill out of my eyes. "Really? You really want a coward as your friend? A no good shogun prince who always messes up?" _

_"I don't know what a shogun is, I know that you're worthy enough of being my friend, and that's good enough for me."_

_Yeah, well Aladdin's easy to please._

* * *

I woke up later that day, baffled. I guess my brain decided to go on overdrive with all those memories of mine. Oh, well. I guess I must've drunk a lot again last night in order for me to sleep this long, you know? I look over at Aladdin, who's still asleep, and then at the yellow scarf which is sitting near me and pick it up, studying it.

"I don't know why I find this thing still so damned interesting," I mumble. I really oughta throw it out. But somehow, I'm tempted to wear it. I resist the urge and throw it beside the bed. Some things have to be left behind in the past. That is part of it.

"Alibaba, what did you dream about last night? You seemed troubled," Aladdin asks, rubbing his eyes from sleep.

"Nothing, just dreams about the past."

Then my eyes bug out at the scene before me: Morgiana is up and she's-

"Morgiana..." I say.

"What?" She says.

"Please put a shirt on or something...it's kinda distracting."

"What is?"

"Y-Your..._things are sticking out..." _

The next thing I know, there's now a dent in the wall and I'm in it from the force of Morgiana's kick.

"Pervert. This is why I hate men."

"I got to see the most glorious thing in the world, didn't I, Aladdin?"

"When will you stop doing that, Alibaba?" He asks.

"When women stop being so attractive, which is never..." I mutter.


	10. Tenth Exploration Mikado, in the past?

**A/N:Okay, I am aware that the last chapter was rather lengthy and full of flashbacks. But I wanted to show just how much Kida/Alibaba has evolved over the course of several years. He's a changed man and Mikado will not recognize him as the same person, but also his memories of the past are fading, as he is an anomaly in time. Imagine how scary that would be. Kida/Alibaba has smiling depression or something. Yeah, I love characters with issues, but it makes them entertaining to write. I especially can't wait to write out when Alibaba winds up in the Ikebukuro time again (or maybe it'll just be Mikado landing in the past like in the upcoming omake, lolz. I hope you'll laugh at the exploits of Alibaba the terrible prince. XD I guess we're taking another trip down flashback alley and a new twist will appear in this chapter. :D **

**"Where were you when our hearts were bleeding, where were you, it all crashed down. Never thought that you'd deceive me-where are you now?"-Song, Let it Burn, by RED**

* * *

**Chapter Ten Izaya's thoughts and Alibaba's determination to make things right**

"I can't believe it's been _two_ years," Mikado whispered as he awoke, got up out of bed and went over to his nightstand, where there was a picture of him and a brown-haired boy, smiling, holding hands together. It was of him and Masaomi. "Two years since Kida died..."

He remembered the very last time he'd _even_ spoken to Masaomi.

_Masaomi was smiling at him, as he walked down the street, happily talking to him. "Ah, listen, Mikado, I've gotta go flirt with the neighborhood chick down the block. I'll be fine." _

_Mikado grabbed his best friend's arm, and looked at him with pleading eyes, as Masaomi stared at him in bewilderment, his golden eyes filled with confusion. _

_"Mikado, what is this all of a sudden?" _

_"Please...don't go. Masaomi, I had a dream...last night that you died. Something terrible happened. Please, don't go. Don't die." _

_Masaomi looked at him, burst out laughing, and then patted his head. "Don't you worry, I'm Masaomi Kida, a guy who can handle himself! I'll be JUST fine." _

And then he'd received a call from his father, telling him that something had happened to his friend and that he thought Mikado needed to watch the news. So Mikado had flipped on the television and turned it on to the news, unsure of what exactly to expect. What he had seen there would haunt him for the rest of his life.

'_And it says here that a local boy, Masaomi Kida, age thirteen, apparently committed suicide by jumping off a bridge today. The reasons as to why the boy committed suicide are unknown, but they will be explored later on."_

_Mikado froze, he couldn't believe the words he was hearing. It had to be a joke. "W-What?" He stammered. "That can't be...Kida-kun would never do that...he wouldn't..." _

_The news broadcast continued on emotionlessly, oblivious of the pain it was causing the young man who was listening and a young woman who was awake on her hospital bed, listening to every word with growing horror, who though she could barely move, was just as terrified as he was. Tears poured down her cheeks as she whispered, "Masaomi..." in a deathly whisper. _

_'We spoke to this person, Mr. Izaya Orihara, a young man who was there at the scene of the tragic event. Mr. Orihara, what do you have to say?" _

_"Well...I knew Kida-kun very well. I was a good friend of his and unfortunately he was such a selfish coward that he decided to end it all here and now, instead of thinking about those he left behind, who would miss his absence. Truly a pathetic thing to do, don't you think?" He said, but he wasn't looking sad or sorry at all. In fact, Mikado got the feeling that this man was enjoying this, talking about Kida like he owned him. _

_"Indeed, suicide is such a cowardly thing to do. They must be the worst kinds of people on earth to do that-"_

_"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Mikado screamed, feeling hot tears come down his cheeks and hit the ground. The thirteen-year old started to sob, louder and louder until it became a loud wail of despair. _

_"Masaomi...Masaomi, no..." He said, clutching the photo in his hands, staring at it as though it would bring his friend back to life. "Come on, Masaomi...this has to be a joke...any second now, there's going to be a text from you...saying you'll be alive...that you'll be fine...you won't be dead...you won't be dead, Masaomi."_

_He checked his messages. There was nothing there. Nothing but a message from the very same Izaya Orihara who was mocking him over his friend's death. _

_'Don't ever call this number again," Mikado texted back, "Kida-kun would never kill himself. You're lying!'_

_'So what? I can make a deal with you, Ryugamine Mikado-kun. I've got an interesting proposal to make with you. If you really suspect me of being the one responsible for killing Masaomi Kida, then I will...' _

_'A deal?' Mikado wrote back. _

_'Yes.' _

_'You, what do you really want? And how could you say such awful things about Masaomi?' Mikado typed angrily. Who did this guy think he was?_

_'Oh, because I know full well that Masaomi Kida-kun was a selfish coward who would do whatever he could to avoid punishment. You see, your friend created a gang called the Yellow Scarves out of desperation. And I happened to help him with that, but once his little girlfriend got injured, suddenly he wasn't so keen on the idea anymore. I had to get rid of him.' _

_'You son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you,' Mikado texted back, 'What if Kida-kun's still alive and he'll come back and kick your ass one day?'_

_'Ha ha ha, that'll never happen. The Masaomi Kida I know is nothing but a big huge coward who only cares about his own life. In many ways, he's like a sociopath.' _

_'Kida-kun could never be a sociopath! That wouldn't be true! At this moment, I bet you Kida-kun is laughing at you, Izaya. He's gonna get back at you!'_

_'I don't believe that. You see, he's dead.' _

_'HE'S NOT!' Mikado texted back. He sank to the ground, crying softly. His homework lay on the nightstand, partially finished. It was then as he exited the texts, he happened to notice there were several missed calls. There were four phone calls that had not gone through for some reason. The first said, 'Unknown Person', as did the second and third phone call, but the last one said, 'Masaomi Kida.'_

_Mikado gaped in shock. "K-Kida-kun?" He said in disbelief as he answered. "Hello, Kida-kun...?" _

_He could hear nothing but the sound of blowing wind in the background, and then static. Wherever Masaomi was, his cell phone must not be working right. _

_"M-Masaomi!" He cried, "It's me, Mikado! Masaomi!" _

_He could've sworn he heard a sob on the other side of the line. _

_"...Someone** help** me..." A voice whispered, it was so pitiful, so mournful that he barely recognized it. Was that his best friend? _

_"Masaomi..." He said, again. _

_A gasp could be heard, audibly. Then, a soft, raspy voice emitted from the other line. "I-Is that you, M-Mikado?" He said, in a tone that sounded like he was utterly desperate or dying. "I-I need help...I'm...dying..."_

_This voice, it sounded like Kida-kun, but on the other hand, it couldn't be. Kida-kun could never be filled with so much despair, so much depression, so much painful, heart wrenching loneliness that was so palpable that it filled Mikado with the same emotion. _

_"Wait, wait, what's going on, Kida-kun?" _

_"I-I don't know..." Came back the frightened voice. Whoever this was was crying. What kind of prank was this?_

_"But you __**can't be **__Masaomi Kida, because Kida-kun died!" _

_"D-Died? I'm...s-still alive..." The voice on the other end moaned. "So...I-I'm so...scared...help me...please, Mikado, help me! And...Izaya...said that? I'm...gonna...kill him..." _

_"You're not my friend! Stop pretending! How on earth did you get his number?" Mikado demanded. _

_"I-I __**am **__your friend..." The voice wheezed. _

_He tried hard to connect this voice, with the cheerful, childish light-hearted boy he had known. Despite the fact that this number said 'Masaomi Kida' and his voice sounded like his, he couldn't connect it to the person he knew._

_"P...Please...Mikado...I need help...I don't k-know...how much longer...I can hold on...I'm...starving, so cold, and sick..." _

_"Who do you think you are to pretend to be my friend? Fuck off!" Mikado cried, "Don't you know I'm shedding a bunch of tears over my friend and then you call me up pretending to be him!"_

_"Wait...no, Mikado..." The voice said, "M-Mikado...p-please, listen to me...it's me..." He cried out. The voice sounded like he was utterly desperate. It was pathetic to hear. "...Please, help me...help me...' _

_But Mikado had heard enough of this person pretending to be his friend and hung up, ignoring the other's desperate calls for help, and then threw it against another photo he had of him and Kida hanging on the wall, which shattered, and the phone lay on the floor, cracked, as Mikado lay there, screaming in pain. _

* * *

_Elsewhere, Erika Karisawa was crying as well, for she knew him well enough and was upset. Simon, too, heard the news and was saddened as well and vowed to punch Izaya the next time he saw him, but no one was more angry than a certain blond man. _

_Shizuo had been quite sad to hear that some kid had killed himself, it was a terrible thing to have happen to anyone. He wouldn't wish death on anyone. But the second that flea had shown up on screen and had started mocking the dead boy, he felt anger rise up in him. How dare he...how dare he...but then a realization hit his mind...the flea must have done this to the boy...he must have been responsible. How dare he sit there laughing like it was nothing! _

_Shizuo turned the TV off and got up. It was time to go beat the hell out of the monster for mocking an innocent kid. No one got away with that shit if he was around. If it had been Kasuka, he would have slugged Izaya as well. At least he still had human feelings. _

_They were in class. Kida shook him. "Hey, Mikado, watch me flirt with like eight girls at once!" _

_"Sure thing, Masaomi!" _

_Then he opened his eyes and instead saw that a brown-haired girl with blue eyes was looking at him in worry. _

_"You were crying in your sleep," She said, "Do you miss someone?" _

_"Yes...my friend who died a week ago...I can't stop thinking about him...someone called me on the phone and pretended to be him.."_

_"What if it really was him?" She challenged. _

_"It couldn't have been him! He committed suicide, and it was definitely someone pretending to be him!" _

_"Maybe that's true," She said, and then she turned her gaze away from him. Then, it seemed like she knew more than she let on. "But what if he was your friend and you turned your back on him when he was most vulnerable?"_

_Mikado's eyes widened. "No...who are you, anyway?" _

_"I'm Mika Harima, or that's what you can call me, anyway. It's not my real name. I'm not from around these parts," She said lightly. _

_Memories floated in his head. _

_'I'm Mikado Ryuugamine.' He said to the little boy with brown hair, who said his name exuberantly. _

_"I'm Masaomi Kida!' He said, smiling. _

_But whenever he tried to reach out to Kida, the image of Kida disappeared, leaving a shattered Mikado in its wake. _

_"Masaomi..." He whimpered._

_Elsewhere, Masaomi was also crying._

_"Dammit, how could he hang up on me like that? Mikado...Mikado..no..." He said, as tears slipped down his pallid cheeks. How could this happen? Here he was, starving to death and finally he'd connected to Mikado and then his friend had hung up on him, believing him to be an imposter! How could this be possible? _

_So years passed and Mikado Ryugamine decided that eventually if he could never find Masaomi again, the least he could do was avenge Masaomi's name. So he tracked down the members of the Blue Squares and forced them to submit and become members of the Dollars. If not, he would have Izaya do the job for him. He knew the man was a complete and total monster, but even he had his limits. _

_Overall, he couldn't bear to talk about the best friend who'd broken his heart. Still, he couldn't help but wonder who the voice on the other line was. But then there was the day that he'd seen that message, the one that reignited hope in his cold heart. He hadn't received any messages from Kida-kun lately...or the one that purported to be him. He wondered what was going on. _

* * *

He lay on his bed, confused, wondering just what he could do.

It was then that a science fiction magazine happened to fall down from a book shelf. He looked at the title, it said something about 'time travel' and 'other dimensions.' Like he believed that stuff. He didn't believe it.

Mikado frowned as he stared at the text messages on his phone, desperately searching for messages from him, but none came.

He didn't understand. What was Kida-kun doing? Why wasn't he answering?

It was then at that moment that a new message appeared.

"I don't know if you'll ever get this, but know that I am alive. I'm living life, Mikado, and I will come back to you. Or you'll come to me. I don't know what'll happen. Mikado, I'm not dead, please believe me.'

Once again, it was said in the same ancient Japanese tone.

How long would this person keep up their joke? He checked the alphabet, only to see that it came from an ancient sort of Arabic language that hadn't been used since the early Middle Ages. His mouth fell open.

"What the hell? Kida-kun's roleplaying? But...but that makes no sense. Wait...I said I wanted to believe in the extraordinary, right? Then...could this cell phone be receiving texts from the past? But that's impossible. Time travel doesn't exist, it doesn't happen." He said to himself.

He texted back, 'Who _are _you?'

The text came back, 'Ha ha ha, you'll just have to guess who I am, my dear Mikado. Who knows, maybe we'll meet sometime, maybe we won't. You don't know what'll happen soon.'

* * *

-Balbadd Kingdom-

I sighed.

"Damn it, Aladdin, I'm just _so bored!" _I muttered, falling back on the couch which had women by my side. "Wouldn't it be nice if something could just catapult me back to my time so that way I could find something interesting? Seriously, I am so freaking bored..."

"I know...none of the dungeons have been very interesting lately, either," Aladdin moaned.

"You know what?" I say, as my mind came up with an idea.

"What? What_ brilliant_ idea do you have, Alibaba?" Aladdin asked eagerly.

"What if you were to ask Ugo to send us forward in time? Would he be able to do that?" I said.

"Um...I'm not sure what caused you to come to this time."

'There is a secret to that and the answer to that will be revealed when you are ready. You might be heading back to the past soon, either that or else I shall send a familiar person your way.'

"Huh, what'd you say, Amon?" I muttered. "Did you say you're gonna send someone my way?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Morgiana said.

"Maybe that means he's gonna send your friend over here!" Aladdin chirped.

I laughed. "The day Mikado comes flying down here is the day I come flying down in Ikebukuro-it's not gonna happen!"

"You mean to tell me," Morgiana said, speaking up, "That Aladdin has a genie, he's been in a room his entire life, you're a kid from another dimension who got trapped here in the past, and you're from the future, or so you claim, because you were alive in another time, dropped down here, living as a prince and yet you think it's impossible that the same thing could happen to someone else?"

"Well, maybe I was just lucky. Maybe I would've died."

"Don't think so lightly of yourself. Some of us care about your well-being."

"Ah, you do, Morgiana? You wanna date me?"

"Definitely not. I don't go for arrogant princes who think they're so great," She says.

"But I am great!" I say, comically missing the point.

'What did you mean by that, Amon?' I ask my djinn. In my mind, he answers and I'm in front of him.

"You will find that out soon, in like a day's time...I've seen the inner pain you've felt upon losing your friend, and I feel that perhaps it is best to send you back to where you originally came from."

'No, definitely not,' I say sharply, 'I never want to go back there.'

'Why not, wielder of fire and my child?' He says.

'Because...this is my home, Balbadd is my home," I find myself saying. "I don't want to return to a mother who nearly drowned me, to the father that didn't care and ran out on me. But I would love it if I saw Mikado again. Just having him alone would be enough, I'd be happy. I'd be really happy. I'd...I'd run up and down the streets, maybe I'd even give Morgiana on the cheek or something...you know what I mean? I'd feel so happy...so happpy! But man, oh man, it's soooo boring.'

"I know how you feel, my prince."

"Don't call me that."

"Or, shall we say, Kida Masaomi?" He says. Of course he would know my true name.

"Don't call me that!"

"Well, for better or worse, your world will change."

"Damn it, why do you always have to speak in riddles?" I cried, but Amon vanished and I was sent back into reality with just my sword.

"You look pretty silly talking to a sword," Morgiana said.

"What if _someone else_ has a talking sword? They do in Bleach," I said.

"What's Bleach?" She says.

"Never mind," I say.

* * *

Back in the present-

"So, like I'm telling you, what if missing people wind up in another dimension and become anime characters!" Erika said, "And that's why we never find them!"

"Exactly," Walker said, "I've been trying to tell people that for years, but they don't believe me. Like you know, that one person we thought we knew, but we didn't really know him? That dude with the blond hair...the one who wore the scarf..."

"Oh, you mean Masaomi Kida?"

"He's _dead,"_ Kadota said, annoyed at where this insane discussion was going.

"Well, what if he...what's your theory, Walker-kun?"

"My theory is that he faked his suicide attempt and ran off into the world of anime and now he's kissing Izaya!"

"...But Izaya's not an anime character," She said.

"Oh, well then...maybe he's in the world of Free. I mean, doesn't the blond guy look somewhat like him?" Walker said.

"I don't think so. Kida-kun had brown hair. Ooh, ooh! Maybe he's Jack Vessalius from Pandora Hearts!" Erika chirped.

"Keep that stuff away from me. I hate reading that series," Walker said.

"I like that series. It's so amazing." Erika gushed.

"You always cry over it every time," Walker said.

Kadota was growing steadily annoyed with their argument over fiction, but nonetheless he let it go. They did this every day.

"Goddammit, will they shut up?"

"Let them have it," Kadota said. "Besides, I knew that Masaomi Kida kid. I think he didn't exactly know what he was getting into."

"It was a tragedy, wasn't it?" Saburo said.

"Yeah, it was a real tragedy, and Izaya appeared on TV mocking him. And then Izaya went up and mocked the kid's death. I felt like he needed a good punch then. It was a good thing Shizuo Heiwajima marched up there and slugged him in the face."

"What did he tell him?" Saburo said.

"Hmm, he told him something like 'shut the hell up, you bastard! You cause this kid to die and then stand there gloating about it to his best friend like a total sociopath? Grow some feelings. And then Shizuo beat the hell out of Izaya. I've never seen him so angry before. It scared the hell out of me. And ever since then, he's been protecting that kid Mikado. He and that kid are close, really close. But not as close as that kid Kida was with Mikado."

"Ah, I got it! Because Mika-Mika's the leader of the Dollars, that means he had a thing for Kida! So what happens if he is Ciel and Kida is Sebastian?"

"No, that'll never happen!" Walker screamed.

"What if he's become a Super Saiyan and his hair went blond!"

"No."

"What if he's Edward Elric? Ed looks a lot like him with the braid!" Erika said.

"You're right about that, but I don't think so," Walker said.

"Ooh, wait a second, wait a second," Erika said, trying to think of more options. But suddenly their huge stack of manga that they had in the back collapsed and all of it came down on them.

"What are you two doing back there?" Kadota said.

Erika's eyes widened as one manga volume in particular slapped her in the face and fell to the ground at her feet before falling open.

"Huh? Magi? Why the hell did _tha_t come down from the shelf?"

"Maybe it's a sign you should read it," Saburo deadpanned.

"I can't stand it. I can't stand the fact that you hate this show. Everyone in it is awesome. Including Judal." She gushed, glaring at Walker.

"Judal's a freaking psycho."

"Well, he's like Izaya. I think Judal and-"

"Hey, why're you reading so early in the series?" Walker argued.

"Because I like reading back early in the series. Who's your favorite?"

"I like Morgiana. She's kickass. I also like Hakuryuu and Kougyoku."

"You are totally way behind when it comes to Magi. I love Aladdin and Ugo, they're so cute." Erika gushed.

Her eyes widened then as she came to a page, "Hmm...I never noticed something," She said before looking at the cover of the volume. "Walker-kun, have a good look at the character on this page."

"Yeah? That's Alibaba Saluja. What about him?" He said cluelessly.

"Doesn't he look a lot like Kida-kun?"

"Not really, Kida-kun has brown hair."

"But their eye color is the same. It's even the same shade. Dota-chin, what if Kida-kun didn't die, he went to the Magi world and now he's Alibaba Saluja!" She cried.

"First of all, Erika, manga characters aren't real. I've listened to you ramble about this long enough, now stop."

"But, Dota-chin, what if I'm right?"

"I'd love to see that happen," Walker scoffed, "I hate Alibaba. He's an annoying pain in the ass. And please stop mixing up fictional characters with real people. It's grating."

"No, anime characters are real. I'll prove it to you. One of these days, Alibaba Saluja will come walking out of the pages and everybody will be happy!" Erika said as she continued reading into her theory, unaware that she was actually correct.

"Stupid otakus and their crazy manga obsessions," Saburo muttered.

"I feel like someone said my name just now," I muttered.

"Um, excuse me, Orihara-san."

Izaya blinked upon seeing the girl, Anri Sonohara before him.

"What is it?"

"I haven't seen Ryuugamine Mikado this morning. It seems like he's missing from his house." Anri said.

Izaya blinked in confusion. "So he ran away now, did he? I'll find him."

* * *

Meanwhile, in another universe-

Somewhere...a certain someone was regaining consciousness.

"Ugh, what happened? I shouldn't have eaten those things for dinner...last night, eh?"

Mikado was in shock at what he saw before him. He wasn't lying on his bed, instead he was lying in the middle of the desert. "WHAT THE HELL? Uh, Sonohara-san, Kuronuma-san, any chance of anyone rescuing me?"

He tried his cell phone. It wouldn't work.

"Do I have teleportation powers? Dammit..."

He started to wander, not sure he was lost until a group of people on camels came toward him. They didn't look friendly.

"Um, hello? Do you speak Japanese?" Mikado said. He was unaware of the torment that was to fall upon him.

"You're trespassing," They said.

"What?" Mikado said.

"Don't you know where you're trespassing? Are you a native of Balbadd?"

"HUH?" Mikado just blinked in confusion. "Balba-what? Bulbasaur? I don't play Pokemon!"

"Are you stupid?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, please just leave me alone."

What he didn't expect was for them to hit him.

"You're gonna be thrown in jail."

"What?" Mikado said in disbelief.

"Don't you know on whose kingdom you are trespassing on?" They said imperiously.

"Um...no? Should I?"

"Yes, you should! It's Prince Alibaba's territory, the prince who just recently came back to the throne!" They declared.

"Recently?" Mikado said skeptically.

"He's a good majesty, but unfortunately he has a bad habit of running away, but you certainly won't be when we take you to him! He'll decide what he gets to do with you."

"Um...please let me go..." Mikado said. "I-I'll destroy you with my kingdom, the Dollars!"

Before that, Mikado was tied up and led away on camels.

"What the hell's going on here?"

* * *

I find myself sitting before Amon as he looks at me.

'It is time to wake up, future king.'

'You don't have to call me that,' I grumbled.

'All right then, Kida Masaomi, again,' He said.

'Don't call me that.'

'Make up your mind, then Alibaba, for you are a future king and ruler, but you are also Masaomi Kida, a person lost, but you are also Alibaba Saluja.'

"I'm a prince because it's my right." I mutter. "And because I have to fight, for my friends."

'You have a brave spirit. But something interesting will happen today. The guards are bringing you someone you know very well.' He says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I cried. But he smiled.

'Your burning, rebellious spirit will draw another you know very well.'

Damn it, why does he always speak in riddles?

"Alibaba...Alibaba-kun..."

Oh, who is this? Wait...Aladdin, Morgiana...what're they doing at my window? "How'd you guys get in?"

"We managed to sneak in past the guards," Morgiana said. For some reason, she tossed me the yellow scarf I intended to throw out. What does she want me to do with it? At my questioning look, she says, "I thought you liked it."

"Just put it in the bag," I mutter.

"Don't you wanna wear it?"

"No," I say darkly.

"I'll wear it, I bet it'll make a nice scarf for Ugo!"

Suddenly I picture Ugo swinging the scarf around and I'm terrified. "Don't give it to him, you can wear it."

"Thank you!"

"So, when are we going to the dungeon? Are we going no-OOWWW?" Before I know it, Aladdin jerks me out of the window, and onto his carpet.

"Wait, wait, wait, I just woke up!" I cry.

"Oh," Aladdin says.

"Seriously, dummy before you take me dungeon exploring, at least allow me to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth!" I say in annoyance.

So I get dressed in my typical outfit, swing my scarf around and throw it out the window.

"You have lousy aim," Morgiana says.

"Some people think otherwise," I say.

As we flew away, I never even knew what was coming.

Mikado found himself being led toward a palace of some sort.

"A palace...what's going on?" Mikado says.

"I dunno what royal assassin sent you here to kill the prince..." They mumble.

"I have no malicious intentions towards this prince Alibaba person. Please, tell him that..."

Then they struck Mikado hard and threw him in a dungeon and locked it.

"You can't do this! This is illegal!"

"The royal law dictates this," They said.

Mikado tried hard to use his cell phone, but there was no reception. "Life is so boring without the Internet." He tried hard to kick the door, but it didn't work.

"It's no use, kid. He makes sure those doors are secure. Usually when we throw Judal in here."

"Who's Judal?" Mikado asks.

"Only the most sadistic Magi around. Have you located the prince yet?"

The other guard shook his head.

"Why does it seem like the most interesting things happen when he's not around?"

"Um, what is that happened to mean?" Mikado muttered.

"No reason," The guard said, "Just wait."

* * *

"Oh boy! Like I told you, we got lots of treasure today, didn't we?" I say through mouthfuls of food.

"Yeah, and this food is the best I've ever eaten," Aladdin says, "Ugo wants more of this food, too!"

"Yeah, Ugo, come on!" I say. "We all love it! We have wine, food and the ladies! Ha ha, enough for everyone!"

"Please, Alibaba, chew _with_ your mouth closed," Morgiana says, slapping me.

"Hey, what was that for? I was just having fun, do you have to ruin that?" I say in annoyance.

"Hm, you know I, uh..." I began, but frowned, "Morgiana, you're not fun."

"Princes need to remember their manners," She says.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," I grumble, "Aw, man that was nice. Those ladies were so cute and sexy...I love them!"

"Not as much as you love your alcohol," Morgiana snarks.

"Oh, if only Mikado was here to see this," I say, leaning back in my chair.

"Don't you need to head back to your palace, Alibaba-kun?" Aladdin asks.

"Palace? Pfft, what would I need to be back there for?"

Then suddenly, there is a loud crashing noise and a man appears before us.

"Prince Alibaba, there you are! We have a very troubling matter at hand. We found a person roaming around the streets, and they claim to know nothing of who you are, so we threw them in a dungeon! They're a Royal assassin."

"What?" I say, "First of all, why on earth would you throw an innocent person in the dungeon to begin with? Let me figure out who they are. Morgiana, Aladdin, go home I'll deal with this accordingly. I'll see if they're a traitor." Time for more princely duties. Great.

"Yes, Prince Alibaba! What is with that outfit?" They say, looking at it in disdain.

"I'm wearing commoner clothing! Deal with it," I say, in annoyance. I get sick of having to deal with these idiots.

As we approached the dungeon area, I heard a person calling out in Japanese.

"Help! Let me out, I haven't done anything wrong! Let me out!"

That voice sounded so _fucking _familiar, but that couldn't be. No way...is that...?

My jaw drops. Because in the dungeon cell is, looking older, taller, and scared out of his wits is Masaomi Kida's old best friend, Mikado Ryuugamine, who was in A JAIL CELL in my palace.

'Did you do this, Amon?' I ask him in my mind.

'Yes, I did it.'

'Damn you, why can't you leave Mikado where he is? He doesn't need me anymore,' I argue.

'Nonsense. You were lonely, so I brought him.'

'You don't just go abducting people from other dimensions!'

'You didn't seem to mind,' He says in frustration.

'Well, _I_ was dying. Big difference. Mikado has his own life.' I grumble.

"Your highness, here he is."

* * *

"A-Are you the prince?" He says, with trembling eyes. I've never seen him look so scared before.

I open my mouth to speak. "Mi-" I begin, but then stop, remembering where I am. "Indeed, I am Prince Alibaba! I don't believe you're a royal assassin, you look too stupid to be one."

"Stupid?" He says, "Who do you think you are, calling me stupid?"

"I'm sorry, you look like a very intelligent fellow," I say.

"Your Highness?" He speaks up. Dammit, Mikado, stop looking at me with those eyes and that sad face. It pisses me off.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Why on earth...are you smiling at me?"

"Oh, nothing. Why are you here?"

"I'm looking for my friend, Masaomi Kida."

"I know a man by the name of Masaomi Kida." I say.

"Where is he? Are you hurting him or torturing him? If you are, I'll do something!"

"Hmm...well, the thing is, commoner, you need to stay there in that jail cell until I figure out just what to do with you."

"What are you gonna do with me?" He whimpers.

I give him the most evil look possible. "Don't worry, you'll find out tomorrow."

'Damn it, that's Mikado. I can't believe it. My own friend is imprisoned in my own dungeon...what do I do?'


	11. Eleventh Exploration kida or alibaba?

**bA/N:Well, now that Mikado has wound up in the past inexplicably, it's time for Kida to have some fun with his old friend before he figures out who he is. This chapter should be pretty fun, I had some great fun with a Kida roleplayer on Tumblr, it's a nice way of spending time with others, ya know. Plus I think I've grown really fond of this story, of Magi, and of Alibaba as a character. He's just the kind of character who you can't forget about easily, you know? Some of them latch onto us, while others are not like that. That's how you know when they're good. ;D**

**"Which is the true nightmare-the horrific dream you have when you're asleep, or the dissatisfied reality that awaits you when you awake?"-Justin Alcala, **

* * *

**Eleventh Exploration A familiar face but a different person and nightmares of the past**

Mikado Ryuugamine had never been in such an embarrassing situation before in his fifteen short years of life. He had never been expecting himself to wake up in the middle of nowhere and be abducted by some crazy people and then in a palace of all places-the very idea screamed absurd.

But somehow this had to be real, because he wasn't dreaming this, he was definitely awake. The prince before him looked very familiar, especially the way he was smiling at him. But why on earth was he doing that? It was so strange! Mikado couldn't honestly figure out why the boy was acting so familiar with him, and to be honest, it kind of unnerved him. Who was this kid, and why on earth was he acting like he knew him so well?

But as he looked into the boy's golden eyes, he could've sworn he'd seen him somewhere before, like he'd met him, but that was impossible, because it seemed like he came right out of the Middle Ages-wait, what?

"Um, what year is it?" Mikado muttered.

"Year? Why, we're in the year of 900 something!"

"What? That can't b-be!" Mikado cried as he rattled the bars.

"Please don't rattle those bars, I've made them specially to hold in dangerous prisoners, like Judal." The boy said smugly.

"I'm not Judal, and I'm not an assassin!"

"I believe you." The prince said, "But, you see, you have to stay in there for your own safety. You see, there are others out there who don't believe you...like me...!" He said.

"Ah, you're evil! What _do_ you intend to do with me?" Mikado demanded.

"Hmm...I don't know..." The prince said, putting his hands behind his back, "I was just exploring a dungeon when I heard...let's just say I like to run away from the throne a lot."

"But leading the life of a prince must be awesome!"

"You don't understand at all, do you kid?" The prince said before throwing something at him. Mikado covered his head, but when he opened his eyes, he realized it was a piece of bread.

"Here, eat up. You must be hungry, aren't you?" He said.

Mikado stared at the boy before him in disbelief. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I feel like it," The boy said, pushing his blond hair back with his fingers. "Go ahead and take it, before I change my mind."

"Ah, okay!" Mikado cried, terrified, as he took the bread and devoured it, unaware that the prince was watching him with a smile on his face. "Why are you smiling at me?" He said between mouthfuls.

"Oh, I was smiling? I didn't realize that...ha ha! I don't think I was!" He said.

"There's something very familiar about him," Mikado whispered, "So, who are you, exactly?"

"Hmm...like I said, I'm Alibaba Saluja, I'm a prince!" Alibaba answered.

"So you're from the Royal Family?" Mikado asked.

"Of course, stupid, what else would I be?" Alibaba said mockingly.

"Why are you acting so familiar with me?"

"Why would I be, commoner? You're a commoner, I'm nobility, which means, basically you have no rights-at least, in the eyes of the others. But since I don't agree with that bullcrap, I guess I'm gonna be fair, and I'm gonna keep you in there until you do some things for me-and before you see Kida Masaomi-kun again."

"K-Kida-kun, what are you doing with him?" He cried before slamming his fists down on the bars, an angry look on his face. "If you hurt him, I'll beat you up!"

"You, lay a hand on me? I'm sorry, I don't think so! I've trained so long and so hard that I don't think a scrawny kid like you can lay a hand on me. Now, tell me, where are you from?"

"Um, the twenty-first century."

"I've heard of that-in fact, Masaomi Kida told me he came from there himself, but I didn't believe him, so I imprisoned him. But now we're friends!"

"You're so evil...evil, let him go!" Mikado cried, unaware of the sad look that passed across Alibaba's face before it shifted into a cheery smile.

"Well, I'll make up my mind," He said, starting to walk away.

"Wait!" Mikado cried. "I...why are you doing all this for me? You're a prince, right? So, shouldn't you kill me or execute me?"

Alibaba gave him an ambiguous smile. "...You're right. I'm doing it because I like you. You look like you've got a lot of spirit. In fact, you might make a better ruler than I do."

'He even admits it,' Mikado thought, _'Who is this _guy?'

'Looks like you haven't changed, Mikado,' I thought, smiling as I thought about him. 'You're still innocent...though something about him has changed, as well...I don't quite know how to put it into words...it's something a bit darker...I think, perhaps...he has his cell phone on him, maybe I should come forward and tell him who I am...'

I thought over that for a few moments, turning over the thoughts in my mind as to what could happen if the other nobles were to find out who Mikado was and what his relationship to me was. They would probably use him, then kill him or something-anything to take advantage of me.

'No, not yet. I can't tell him yet. Now's not the time-'

"Hey, did you catch that intruder, Alibaba-kun?"

"Hey, Sinbad," I said dryly, not caring about the fact that Mikado was nearby to hear. After all, he still saw me as the big evil prince incarnate. "It was nothing, really-just my best friend from another dimension who wound up here and is now imprisoned in my dungeon." I whispered.

"What?" Sinbad said, looking, for once, utterly shocked, "You mean, the one you lived with in another reality is now here?" He asked.

"Yes, Sinbad, who _else _would I mistake him for?" I said, clearly very annoyed at this.

"Okay, I believe your words," He said.

"Hmm, for a second, it sounded like you_ didn't._" I said in annoyance.

"Come now, Alibaba-kun, we get along now, don't we?" He said.

"I still haven't forgotten about the time you punched me in the stomach," I snapped, "And that time you broke my dagger and knocked me out."

"Well, you deserved it, at that time you were trying to be a pain in the ass."

"Sure, you're not the one who ambushed me, Cassim and the Fog Troupe, and then decided to become a member of said Troupe after you'd attacked us-"

"Um, what's going on?" Mikado said, suddenly cutting our argument in half.

"A-Ah, Mikado Ryuugamine, nothing's going on over here, pay it no mind! This is Sinbad, he's the one who allowed you to be imprisoned here."

"Okay...you know, you act a _lot _like Kida-kun." Mikado pointed out.

"Ah, do I now? Well, the two of us are very similar! Now, good night, commoner!" I said before going to bed.

* * *

The next day, Mikado saw the prince at his door, yawning and stretching.

"Today, the first order of business for you, Mikado Ryuugamine, is that it's time to get out of that cell; I will give you orders on how to romanticize with women! See, princes get _all _the women they want-they just climb all over you!" Alibaba announced grandly.

'This sounds really, _really_ familiar,' Mikado thought. He could remember a young Kida saying the same things while smiling. 'Huh? C-Could _he _be...? No, that's absurd. Kida-kun is the same age as me.'

So, they spent half of the day flirting with women.

"Um, _why_ do you have women crawling all over you?" Mikado said, staring with wide eyes at how the prince had women all around him. He had to picture Sonohara-san in that position and he felt anger rise up in him. Girls weren't just objects...

"Because it's part of being a prince. Got _any_ questions?" Alibaba said cheerily.

"Y-You're an arrogant asshole!" Mikado cried out.

"Ha ha, I take that as a compliment, Mikado Ryuugamine. Thank you very much, now I have a challenge for you-you have to _sleep _with one of these girls-"

"WHAT?" Was Mikado's predictable reply.

Mikado only wound up kissing one of them instead, and it was on the cheek.

Alibaba disappeared for a while, Mikado noticed, and it was sometime later in the morning when he came back out.

Whenever the prince came out, his clothes were all ruffled. He looked quite happy.

"That was fun," He muttered under his breath.

"What did you do?" Mikado asked, though a part of his horrified mind was filling in the blanks for him.

"What else? I did it with some girls." He said, raising his eyebrows up and down.

Mikado facepalmed. "_Why_ would you...?" He stammered.

"Why else, my dear Mikado, it's all part of the game," He said vaguely.

"Why do you talk like Kida-kun?"

"Do I now? Well, he and I are very close friends!" Alibaba chirped, though inwardly he was kind of getting nervous at how perceptive his best friend was.

"If you hurt him, I'll-" Mikado began.

"Futile threats," Alibaba said. "Oh, well, on to eat some dessert-"

"Hey, Alibaba, who's that?"

He noticed the prince pause in time to see two people whom he smiled at and then turned to indicate Mikado's attention.

"Oh, allow me to introduce you to these two," Alibaba said before showing Mikado a boy with long blue hair wearing odd clothing; he had a flute around his neck for some reason, and the second figure was a girl with short red hair and a guarded air about her.

"...These two are Aladdin and Morgiana, they're my closest friends! We all met through weird circumstances, but we're very fond of each other. And today, we're gonna go hunt in a dungeon!" Alibaba said proudly.

"Today?" Mikado spoke up, "And what's a dungeon?"

"It's a place where you look for treasure. There're some traps in them, but they're not too hard, you know," He said, ignoring Mikado's whining, "And there are also lots of treasures, some gold and silver, it's so awesome, you can make money off it! Of course, the best part is rubbing it in the faces of the other nobles!"

"You sound like you're kinda greedy," Mikado remarked. Honestly, this prince was beginning to irk him more and more every second. Why was he so arrogant and rude, anyway? But there was something about him that was very familiar. What was it about this guy?

"I suppose you could say so, but right now, I'm too hungry to enter the dungeon, so let's get something to eat, Morgiana!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikado Ryuugamine. I've heard a lot about you from-" The redhead said, but then the prince promptly shushed her, leaving Mikado with a blank stare on his face.

'_What was that...about? This guy is so weird...'_

* * *

**Alibaba's POV (in other words, back to first person for a bit)**

Well, so far, so good, I guess I'll just have to keep on pulling the wool on over Mikado's eyes and then-oh, geez, why did Morgiana have to go and say something that stupid? Now he's gonna ask me too many awkward questions.

"Dammit, Morgiana, do you _want_ to get me revealed?" I cried in annoyance. She just rolled her eyes at me.

"You're doing a pretty lousy job of hiding it, you know," She said darkly, "Don't you think you're being very immature?"

"It's not like I can tell him _right now_!" I said in annoyance; though for a second, my eyes darted over to Mikado, who was looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. Does he really know who I am? He must have some suspicions, after all. He's not stupid.

"What did you guys talk about in Arabic?" Mikado asked, looking vaguely suspicious.

"Nothing, really. You know, I learned Japanese, but I'm not very good at it," I said as I continued eating some of the delicious food. "What do you think of the food?"

"I-It tastes really different!" Mikado exclaims. Oh, he's as innocent as he always was.

"Of course it is, it's different from what you're used to. Time for some dessert-"

"It's cherry, isn't it?" Morgiana said to me.

"Of course it is! Cherry is the best!" I said as I ate it happily.

"Huh?" Mikado said as he looked at me.

"What is it?" I said, putting down my food for a second.

"Well...it's just that cherry desserts are _Kida-kun's_ favorite...did you...learn that from him?"

"Hmm...let's just say he and I have the same taste buds!" I said happily.

"I wonder how he's doing..." Mikado said, his eyes downcast, "I mean, does he _still_ think about me? And even more, does he even _talk_ about me at all?"

"Mikado..." I whispered.

"Um, why are you addressing me so informally?" Mikado saix. Damn it, he's starting to figure me out again, I've gotta stop that!

"U-Uh, no reason! It's just that maybe he misses you as much as you miss him, did you ever think about that?" I said, waving my hands in the air.

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"Nothing, now, commoner, let's prepare to head out to the dungeon-_you'll_ be in first, in case there are any traps up ahead."

Boy, tormenting Mikado sure is fun, but I do feel bad about lying to him. But at the same time, I'm kind of...scared to tell him the truth. Will he...hate me?

"You're so mean!" He wailed. "And why's it so scary and dark?"

"That's the point. It's called _a dungeon_. Did you think it would _not_ be scary?"

"Um...yeah? And...what do I have to do first?"

I smirked at him.

"I already told you, didn't I? Don't worry, Morgiana will catch you if anything happens. She'll catch you if you fall or anything."

Knowing Mikado, he's very disaster-prone, so should I _wait_ for him to attract disaster, or...?

"I don't want to falllllll-"

How predictable. I slap my forehead. Morgiana catches him, of course.

"You okay?"

When he nods, she says, "I'm only saving you because he wants me to."

"Why is he so mean?" He asks.

"...It's all an act. He really does care about other people. Despite the fact that he acts like a jerk, he's really a nice guy."

"Really? It's hard to tell."

"At first, I thought he was a jerk, but he taught me that being a slave was wrong and that I should fight for myself," She said, her voice softening as she did so.

* * *

"That prince guy sure is a jerk," Mikado remarked, walking alone. Suddenly, strange monsters surrounded him. Mikado instinctively screamed, but suddenly a golden blur dashed in front of him, slashing the monsters with his dagger, which was shooting some flames.

"...What?!" He said. "What _is_ that stuff?"

"This is my _sword_, my dear commoner," Alibaba said, wielding his dagger. "Watch your own back. Didn't you have any teachers or anything in school?"

"N-Not like that. C-Can I ask you something? Did you ask Kida-kun about Izaya?"

The prince stiffened at the last part.

"...No, he never did," He whispered.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Mikado said. What _was it_ with this guy-the way he acted so familiar towards him, the way he was so interested in him and insulting at the same time-it was just so damned familiar, that Mikado found himself wanting to know more about this person. "Let me ask you something...are you like Kida-kun's twin brother, his cousin or something?"

The blond prince before him didn't answer. Instead, he stood in front of Mikado, wielding his dagger and slashing through another monster. "Amon! Djinn Equip!" He cried, and suddenly flames enveloped him, much to Mikado's shock and destroyed the monster before them, as the prince reappeared, his sword bigger and black in his hands, which were now black with red lines running through them.

"What kind of place _is_ this...?" Mikado whimpered, as the red-headed girl destroyed another monster with a sharp kick to the side.

"Are you okay?" She asked him. He nodded his head. Again, he turned back to look at the prince, holding the sword in his hands, charging after monster after monster with his own power, with admiring eyes.

'I wish...I wish I could be as strong as Alibaba. He seems so strong...compared to someone like me...who did nothing but cry over Kida-kun...I wonder how Kida-kun's doing now...'

"Um...thanks for protecting me...and do you really know where Kida-kun is?" Mikado asked.

The blond boy before him didn't answer, instead he looked away from him, and said, sadly, "Hey, do you know that someone once told me, no matter how many centuries pass, no matter what comes to pass, we'll still be friends, won't we? That person was..._you...Mikado..." _He stated, turning around to face him with a sad, yet determined look on his face.

"What?" Mikado cried, studying him from head to toe. True, his muscles, his physique, his accent, language, and hair were completely different...but those eyes, the way he smiled and flirted with girls, his emotions...it was obvious that the boy before him was indeed Kida Masaomi.

* * *

**Alibaba's POV**

**"**Ah, look, Morgiana, we've found all this beautiful treasure! It's all ours! Ah, I'm gonna go sell some of it to Sinbad, maybe some of it to Kougyoku if I'm in a good mood...maybe I'll give it to some beautiful women!" I chanted as I held some treasure in my hands, admiring it. I'll talk to Mikado later, right now riches matter much more.

"Um...Masaomi?" Mikado says. I look up, covered with treasure. Aladdin has to laugh at the sight.

"...I'll explain everything later," I say, as Aladdin's magic carpet takes us out of the dungeon.

"Wow...I never dreamed I'd get to be on a magic carpet! It's so amazing!" Mikado says in fascination, studying what's below us while Mor is looking at some of the idols and Aladdin is happily humming to himself. I look away, unable to bring myself to talk.

"...Um, so you _are _Masaomi?" He says, looking at my back. I turn to face him, smiling sadly.

"Yes...yes, I am, Mikado. Long time no see..."

He slaps me across the face. "Why? Why did you scare me like that, and lie to me? You made me think you were so terrible...Masaomi..._why_?" He moans, as tears slip out of his eyes.

I feel tears of my own well up and I wipe them away. "I had no choice...the other nobles...would've torn you up...and I couldn't allow a precious friend like you to die...we have all the time in the world to talk, Mikado. But, tell me...how did you get here?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. One second, I was asleep in my bed and then the next, I was...I was here..._how_ did you get here? And what...what happened to your hair?"

"It...became permanently blond the second I landed in this world." I said. "And...that's a story for another time..."


	12. Twelfth Exploration Sinbad and stories

**A/N:Time for the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you for the follow. I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm doing a great roleplay with a Kida roleplayer on Tumblr with this same verse. And I love this. **

**Twelfth Exploration Explanations and Excuses**

* * *

The ride back home was quite awkward. After all, I'd just spilled to my best friend about who I really was. So I expected him to be angry, but not like this. He wouldn't even utter a word to me. He just remained silent. I tried to talk, but I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Mikado?" I ask. Silence. Was he still angry with me? Well, looking at it from his viewpoint, I couldn't blame him for being angry. I'd lied to my own best friend and acted like a jerk, bullying him (even if most of it was very light-hearted jest and not intentional, you know, I was trying to act like everything was how it used to be,) for little things, and had convinced him I was someone else entirely.

Had such a wide gap really developed between us simply because of the time we came from? I didn't care whether I was Kida Masaomi or Alibaba Saluja, I just wanted Mikado to be happy and also to be with me, or just see me once. I knew I was being selfish in a way, only wanting him for my own happiness, and not caring about his, but I'm sure he still had his eyes set on the old Kida Masaomi, the same one who'd run away from him on that cheery sunny day smiling and saying he'd meet him again, only to fall into another dimension.

Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I hadn't been so dumb as to walk down that alleyway. Would I still be ordinary Kida Masaomi, Izaya's lapdog and someone who would lead a more or less ordinary life by himself, while I took care of everything myself and lived my own life? Or maybe nothing would've changed at all. I couldn't tell who I was anymore.

On one hand, I was the brave Alibaba Saluja, the third prince of Balbadd who'd captured a dungeon, used a Djinn to help suppress a rebellion and changed the monarchy into a republic, a shining hero, but then on the other hand, a part of me was still that same scared, lonely, and confused young child known as Kida, crying in the corner, wondering why his mother didn't want him to begin with.

Aladdin comes over to me, noticing my downcast look. "Hey, Alibaba-kun, relax. I'm sure your friend knows you didn't mean to act that way."

I look at him in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? I'm not the same person I used to be, and I think he realizes that. Is he...is he honestly disgusted by who I am now? Does he hate me?" I say, feeling tears well up in the corners of my eyes, but Aladdin just smiles, in that same confident way that he always does.

How is it that people have so _much_ trust and faith in me when I have absolutely none in myself? I don't understand how that can be worth anything. I never understood why Sinbad, why Sahbhmad, why Kassim, why even Morgiana had trusted in my word. I was still an idiot, I was still a whiny little kid who thought he could do everything his way and then utterly screw up.

"Alibaba-kun, don't blame yourself. You've lived your whole life with these dark thoughts. I know they've warped your perception of yourself, but the people around you see your true side and that's why they like you. Because you're a kind, gentle person, Alibaba-kun." Aladdin says softly. I notice Mikado watching us in confusion, not able to understand a word we're saying.

"Yeah...you're right...I should go over there..." I whisper to him. I wait until we land, and then instantly, Morgiana takes some of the treasure, while I take some of it, and then turn to Mikado, pulling on his arm. "Come on, come with me!"

He resists. "Leave me alone! I hate you, I-"

I silence him with a sharp glare. "This is an _order_, come on, Mikado!" I snap, before going into my room and closing the door shut behind us. Aladdin follows us in.

"_Why?" _

He asks. It's a simple enough question, but it tears through my heart. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out so I close it again. "I...well, you see...I wanted to protect you."

"Protect me, how?" He says darkly. This is a side of him I've never seen before. It's almost like this person before me isn't Mikado at all. Who is he?

"...Like I said before, the nobles aren't nice. They'd kill you if they knew of your relationship to me. I'm sorry if I've changed so much to you, but I've been through so much during the past few years has made me really different...hasn't it?"

He looks at me for a few moments and sighs. "Yeah, you really are Masaomi...aren't you?"

I reach over and hug him as tightly as I can, despite his protests. "You really...are _real_, huh? It isn't a dream. I'm so glad you're with me, Mikado. You have no idea how much I missed you."

"I-I missed you too, Masaomi. But why do you go by another name, now?" Mikado asks.

"Simple. In order to blend in and become different." I say simply.

"Oh," He says, "But I still want to call you Masaomi."

"Mikado, look. You _can't _call me that anymore." I say sharply, "Call me Alibaba. And I still consider you a friend."

He looks at me, his eyes shining with tears. "Really, Masaomi?"

"Yes," I say, smiling, "And, please, call me Alibaba."

"Alibaba-kun has talked about you so much, and when I looked into his memories, I saw how much you meant to him. I'm Aladdin," Aladdin says, shaking Mikado's hand.

* * *

"Aladdin, like in that Disney mov-"

"Shush, Mikado, those things don't exist here. And I'm glad-"

"But, Masaomi, aren't you going to return home?" He asks pleadingly. And for a moment, I am almost tempted to say yes. I did long for the past, for Mikado, for my classmates, for Ikebukuro.

I look at Aladdin and Morgiana for a few moments, and study them, before turning back to Mikado. "No, this is the best home for me. There's nothing for me back there. My mother was a bitch who hurt me, my father never cared enough, I have no siblings, I have gotten over Saki, Izaya's a bastard, and Simon isn't worth going back to. So in other words, no, I don't have anyone back there but you."

"Anri-chan would love to meet you."

"Who's that?" I ask, tilting my head. "And besides, what're the people in Ikebukuro gonna say if they see a prince walking around, wielding a dagger? Think of how adjusted I've become to my life now. I love it like it is now and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Even through the good and the bad, I have true friends."

Mikado pouts. "You mean I'm not a true friend?"

I laugh and pat his head, "Of course you are. And now, let me introduce you to the king of Sindria, Sinbad. That guy you met is a king." I say, motioning to Sinbad, who has been listening.

Mikado's jaw falls open ten feet and he looks at him. "Y-Y-You're a _king?" _

Sinbad laughs. "Ha ha! This is how they react every time!"

"Your Majesty, that's not funny," Jafar says, appearing beside him.

"So you are the great Mikado Alibaba-kun speaks of so highly. It is a great honor to meet you."

Mikado is too tongue-tied to speak. "N-N-Nice to meet you, too! Um, you wouldn't arrest me for starting a gang now, would you?" He blurts the words out, which caught my attention.

My eyes widen. "Mikado...what did you do?"

He gasps. "Uh...um...I did no such thing..."

"Alibaba-kun here also started a gang-"

"Eh, Masaomi did-" Is all he says, before I go out into the hall with him, dragging him by his shirt collar.

"Now listen here, Mikado. Tell me, exactly what made you think it was a brilliant idea to start a gang, huh?" I say sharply.

Tears pour out of his eyes then and he sighs. "...Why do you care?"

"Because I started a gang, too, and it nearly killed me! The Yellow Scarves was formed by me, for god's sake-"

"You did-?" He begins.

"Yes, and then here I formed another gang, with my friend, Kassim. But that..." I say, trying hard not to remember Kassim's limp form after I'd struck him down with Amon's sword. His last words...still weigh heavily on my mind. He'd seen all of my memories from my life as Kida Masaomi and understood, finally, why I was so hell-bent on staying friends with him.

"...Kassim? What is he like?" Mikado asks, his face curious. But there's something else I'm not getting here: there's another side of Mikado. I must see it, this darkness of his. I don't want him being dark. It scares me.

"...Don't ask such things. He died. He died making a foolish mistake and I had to pay the price. Show me your dark side, Mikado. I don't want you going down a dark path, drop your mask," I say sharply.

His eyes darken and the smile falls off his face, being replaced with a cold stare. It's a bit unnerving but I've dealt with worse before as I let go of his shirt collar and he stands up.

"...Yes, that's right, Masaomi, I'm the leader of the Dollars. Are you going to kill me for starting a gang? I wouldn't blame you if you did. To be honest, I hated you for quite a while, leaving me alone like this. But...I wonder if I was mistaken about you. You seem...honestly sincere about your intentions. You'd never run off without a reason. Now please, explain."

"Your story, first," I say, leading him back in, where Aladdin, Morgiana, and Sinbad are near, waiting for answers. And so Mikado talks, telling me about how life went on after my 'death' and how he dealt with his grief by going to Izaya for help and formed the Dollars out of revenge. At which point I promptly slugged him and told him not to. He goes on to describe his friends, Aoba and Anri, and how Aoba mocks me all the time, and how much he thinks about me.

"Can I hear yours?" He asks me.

"Fine," I say, beginning with how I was abducted and tortured. The horrified look on his face says it all and then I describe how I was dropped in another time and starving. "And that boy you hung up on was me, starving and deprived of love. Do you know how desperate I was?"

He cries then and tackles me in a hug. It's a very emotional thing. Aladdin is crying a little too, by the time I finish. And even Sinbad looks moved. Morgiana comes closer to me, holding my hand.

"...Are you okay?" She asks.

I smile. "Of course I am. But I will figure out a way to return you back to your home."

"Okay!" Mikado says, looking happy.

* * *

Orihara Izaya cursed. Where had Mikado gone off to? His eyes widened then as he spotted Mikado's phone and noticed Mikado had been messaging...his eyes widened again.

"_Masaomi Kida...?" He breathed. _"Ah, so you survived, Masaomi-kun. Where are you hiding Mikado-kun, hmm? I shall have to find you myself."

"IIIIIZAYYAAAA-KUN, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MIKADO, DAMMIT? I HEARD HE WENT MISSING. THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Shizuo cried, picking up the informant and glaring at him. "Anri told me."

"...Hmm, what's going on between you and Mikado-kun, hmm?" Izaya pointed out. "Are you perhaps in love-"

A stop sign over the head was his answer.

"Don't you ever assume anything about him. I'm here to protect him from bastards like you. That's all I need to do." Shizuo growled, "And if you're hurting him, flea, I'm gonna fucking murder you, got that?"

"Shizuo, that's enough! We'll look for Ryuugamine-kun later. Right now, we have work to attend to!" Tom said, motioning for his friend. Shizuo nodded.

"If you hurt Mikado, I'll kill you, got that, you stupid flea? Leave him alone." Shizuo growled.

"Damned pest, always interfering...I need to find out where Masaomi-kun is. I'll kill him if necessary, he's of no use to me anymore..." Izaya purred.


	13. Thirteenth exploration dark memories

**A/N:Hmm...so why is Alibaba so willing to fall for the lies of others? Because as this chapter is about to reveal, this character has suffered a lot! Combine both these characters together, and you turn an already complex character into an even more interesting one. :D Nightmare fuel is in this chapter, a little bit, so be prepared for some flashbacks, again. **

**Thirteenth Exploration Cursed Memories (the past of Kida Masaomi/Alibaba Saluja)**

* * *

Sometimes, there are some things I'd rather not remember in my life…some of my darkest memories come out in my dreams when I'm asleep…I don't like to remember them. Sometimes, I wonder how I can even be _alive_ with such dark memories floating through my mind…seriously, it's terrifying. Maybe that's why those dark Djinns were able to possess me so easily.

Well, let me at least start to talk about some of my past. I know I've written down my past a dozen times before, but I haven't even begun to get into the core of what horrifying things I endured. I've already written about my mother's abuse before, I'm aware of that. But have I written about what exactly Izaya did to me…? I don't think so…

To be honest, if you're scared of reading this, then just put this down and go somewhere else, because this isn't for the faint of heart, I assure you. I swear. This stuff really happened to me and it's not exactly easy for me to recall.

I stared at Mikado in disbelief as he leaned over me, looking at me in concern.

"How badly did she bruise you this time?"

I was only eight years old, and yet he was paying this much attention to me?

"How much did she hurt you, Masaomi?" He asked, again. I wasn't listening. I looked away from him.

"It doesn't matter. My life doesn't really matter all that much. She's right. Every time she beats me and ignores me, it just means I don't deserve to exist."

I hung my head and let the tears flow.

"Masaomi, you know that's not true. You're just letting her get to you and because of her thinking, you're not going anywhere. You can't believe her lies 100%. You've got to be strong. You've got to be stronger."

"How can I be stronger when she keeps on demeaning me at every turn? She's been away for five days. I've had no choice but to cook my own food."

"You can always stay at my house."

"What if…something happened to you?" I said.

Mikado's mom and dad were nice enough and they trusted me. But I just didn't know how to trust adults. I didn't know how to trust in anyone.

"Come on, Masaomi! What could go wrong?" He said, patting my head.

* * *

The next day, I was surprised to see Mikado entering my class. He looked quite nervous about it. His parents had moved him around quite a bit.

"This is Mikado Ryuugamine, a new student. Please be nice to him." The teacher said.

"I want to sit over by Kida!" Mikado cried, looking at me.

"Oh, you're friends with Kida? That's nice, not many children like him." The teacher said.

It was bad enough that she felt pity for me, but it was worse that she had to say it out loud where others could hear.

"Kida's nothing more than a freak, isn't he? He's nothing but a wimp who cries too much. Isn't that right?" One boy whispered, kicking me. I flinched, but gritted my teeth and endured it.

"He's an idiot. No one likes you, you know." Another boy added.

"No picking on Masaomi Kida!" The teacher scolded.

"Aw, teacher, but he_ asked_ for it. Look at his _cute_ little face," They said, pulling at my jaw.

They cornered me at recess and started to throw rocks at me, laughing.

"You know, I heard your mother drinks alcohol and throws things at you! It's your own fault, it's because you're not good enough!" One boy taunted.

"You don't even have a presence, your mother doesn't love you, you can't own anything, you're useless and worthless, no one would miss you if you disappeared!"

'Your fault, you're not good enough, your fault?' I thought...

"You'll never have a reason for being anywhere, you're just useless."

I clutched at my head, trying hard to prevent myself from hearing those awful words.

"Leave Masaomi alone!" Mikado cried, getting in front of me, and that's when he got hit by a particularly large rock on his head. He fell over, unconscious.

"Mikado!" I cried. 'Dammit, why does this have to happen? He was just trying to protect me...'

For a few moments, I stared at him, then at the kids, who were laughing…then I felt nothing but a strange burning sensation build up within me. I don't remember what happened next, only that for a second, I could've sworn my hands were black with fire coming out of them and the kids were whining that I burned them somehow.

I gasped as I stared at my hands, they were black, _pure black,_ with claws on them and red lines running through them. They were covered in fire. "What the hell?" I cried out loud.

The other kids screamed, "MONSTER!" as they ran off, screaming to the teacher about the freak with hands like Edward Scissorhands. Panicking, I took one look at Mikado and decided I couldn't let him see me like this. _He'd hate me._ They were right, I was a freak.

Desperately, I ran out of the school and ran home as fast as I could, panting hysterically as I did so. My hands were still the same, with red cracks on them. I quickly dunked them in the sink, and felt a sharp stinging, searing pain go through me. It felt like doing this hurt part of me.

"Shit!" I cursed, lifting them out. No difference. They were still the same. I frowned. "What the hell's wrong with me? Come on, go back...go back!" I screamed, waving them around. No use. My hands still looked mummified or something. I tried to touch my shirt with my weird hands. Doing so resulted in it catching on fire.

I bit my lip. What the hell was this about? I tried hard not to scream, but quickly extinguished it with water.

Then I heard Mikado knock on the door.

"Masaomi, are you there? You've gotta go back to school!" He called.

Shit...shit...shitshitshitshitshit...I couldn't let him see me like this!

"I-I'm sick! Leave me alone!" I cried, feigning a cough.

"I don't think so! I'm coming in!" The eight-year old said, swinging the door open. Instinctively, I hid my hands behind my back, desperate for him to not see.

"What's wrong with your hands, Masaomi?" Mikado asked.

"Nothing! Just leave me alone!"

"Let me see your hands," Mikado advised. He grabbed my hand, and much to my surprise, my hand was back to normal. "I heard the bullies say someone burned them. And they have burns on their bodies. Did you do that?"

"No, someone else did, silly. Do you think ordinary people possess superpowers, Mikado? Stop daydreaming!" I cried, though inwardly I was panicking. How was this possible? How could I control this?

"Masaomi, are you all right? Why are you spacing out?" Mikado asked. But I couldn't answer him. I was too scared of myself. What was happening to me?

And of course, when I got back to school, none of the teachers understood and I was picked on even more. I was harassed at school, harassed at home, yeah sometimes I wondered why I didn't like run away or something, but I was a bit too young to think about that stuff.

I still remember the day he moved away from me. Mikado, I mean. I was only around nine or so when it happened.

"I'm sorry, Masaomi, but I have to leave you!" Mikado said, looking very sad.

"No, Mikado, don't go! I have no one else. Stay with me, please! I feel like something bad will happen if you leave!" I pleaded.

"No, Masaomi, you're strong. You can take care of yourself."

Could I, really, though?

* * *

I just stood there, catatonic, as Mikado's family bade farewell to me and quickly herded their son into their car and drove off. Then I cried, and wished the car would come back and my friend would return to me. By that time, though, my mother was gone for months.

I heard rumors that she'd gotten some new lover, but I didn't care. She'd decided to not care about me, so I decided to make my own way of living...the only way I knew how...fighting back. Even if that meant...becoming a criminal.

"Hey, kid, what brings you here?" Izaya said, looking at me. It was obvious to me that he looked different from the way he looked later on. He was nineteen, just out of high school. "How old are you?"

"Nine," I said sharply, "And don't just judge me because of that."

He looked at me in disinterest. "Right, go back home to your parents-"

"_No," _I said sharply. "I don't have a place to stay, and I need to fight in order to survive."

"Fight, hmm? That's quite an interesting philosophy you have of the world now, isn't it? I wonder who could've made you feel that way. Someone who didn't appreciate your worth?"

"Yeah, that's right," I said.

"What's your name? I'm Izaya Orihara, an informant. I can charge you information, I certainly can't buy you a place to live. If you want a place to live, you'll have to be doing some of my dirty work for me."

"I don't care what, my own mother didn't even love me, so I-" I began, but he cut me off.

"Oh, mother issues, hmm? I can relate, my own mother's a bitch. They prefer my little sisters over me. Do you have any siblings to look after, Kida Masaomi-kun?" This startled me.

"How'd you know my name?" I demanded.

"Oh, I look into every potential customer. But this isn't the first time I've had someone working under me who's so...heh heh, _young. _Strange, I don't really like brats very much, but there's something very interesting about you. You seem to burn like fire, but that's interesting."

I flinched for a second, hoping that this man didn't know about my fire abilities.

"Have you ever had alcohol?" He asked. I didn't trust him.

"Sometimes," I said vaguely.

"Have you ever had to sleep out on the streets, my friend?" He asked, extending me a cup of coffee, which I pushed away. I didn't want to drink anything this man had. I didn't trust him.

"Sometimes." I said, again, annoyed.

"Have you ever slept with a girl?" He asked.

"No," I said, flushing a little.

"...What if I were to give you a girlfriend?"

"I love girls!" I cried.

"Interesting, then. Then how about I introduce you to...a girl I know."

Saki didn't really love me, I know that. But what I remember most is the first time Izaya showed his true colors and made me kill someone. It wasn't a pleasant memory, of course. I had formed the Yellow Scarves around age twelve, but I was still attending school when Izaya raised me to be his 'lackey.'

But, in many ways, he raised me like a 'father' would his son, so at the time I didn't even really think that he could be using me. I mean, he took me out to ballparks, he went to amusement parks, (even if he wasn't enthused by it) he took me to kiddie events and let me get whatever I wanted, and said he would pay for it. Somehow, as a young kid, I didn't really buy into it. All I knew was that if I went anywhere with Izaya, I'd get things for free and that made sense, which is why I was so accustomed to stealing things as Alibaba Saluja; because I'd been trained to do it by Izaya.

"Okay, Masaomi-kun, first important order of adult business; we've already had you try alcohol, steal, and that sort of thing."

"What is it?" I said, impatient. "It's my birthday today."

"Exactly," Izaya said, "Take this..." He put a small pistol in his hand. "Take it and execute that man. He's worthless-"

"Kida!"

Mikado's voice. My eyes snap open as I sit up. I smile at Mikado. "Yo, morning, Mikadooooooo!"

Mikado groans. "Prince or not, you're still the same old Masaomi, huh?"

A maid comes in. Instantly, I spring to action.

"Hello there, sweet lady, would you care to date this fine prince here-"

"I only date guys who aren't acting like pompous jerks!" She said, and I jumped back.

"Rejected again," I say in disappointment. "So, Mikado, would you like to take a tour of what this country's like-"

My eyes widen upon seeing a new message sent to my inbox on my phone, it's from Izaya. I grit my teeth together and read it. "DEAR MASAOMI-KUN, do tell me how you survived being thrown off a building and drowning in the water? From what I recall, you can't swim at all. Bring Mikado-kun back to me, please. I will kill you, if need be."-Izaya.

"Mikado, Izaya's looking for us. He knows I'm still alive. But we're safe in this time, don't worry."

"Masa-er, Alibaba, what will you do?"

I smile. "Don't worry, I'm strong. He won't be able to lay a finger on you."

"Okay." Mikado said nervously.


	14. Chapter 14 Alibaba's diaries

**My dearest pet rat died yesterday at 11:30 p.m. So I am going to write stuff dedicated to her memory. R.I.P On the other hand, I have a beautiful bae named Kida. :D He's so cute and sweet. He's only around a few weeks old. But he's growing bigger every day. Anyhow on to the chapter. **

**Chapter Fourteen Remembrances and Sindria **

* * *

"So, Mikado," I begin as we sit down to eat some breakfast, Aladdin taking large handfuls of food and stacking them on his plate while I start to talk, "What's your life been like back in the...uh, future?"

Mikado looks at me for a few moments before a laugh bubbles out of his mouth. "Wow, it feels so weird for me to see you taller than I am, and yeah, it's weird to call my time the future. But I uh, have been doing pretty well. I have a grave of you that I talk to-"

I looked at him, my mouth wide open. "Why would you-"

"AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE ALIVE, STUPID!" He cries.

All of us stare at him before Sinbad bursts out laughing.

"Boy, that's strange even by my standards."

"_Sin,"_ Jafar warns, shooting him a death glare that could rival hell itself.

"What, can't I have a little bit of fun without everyone antagonizing me?" He says with a laugh. I roll my eyes at him.

"Just shut up and eat, dammit," I growl as I slide food onto my plate, Mikado watching me in fascination. "What's up?" I ask.

He flushes. "Um...it's nothing...I just...wondered if you hate me for doing that...or think I'm a terrible friend-"

I pat his head and grin widely. "Of course not! Shall we go hunting for women today, Sinbad?"

Sinbad grins widely. "...Hmm. Sure thing, now that's more up my aisle of fun!"

"You sure one Ren Kogyoku isn't up your alley? She's got the hots for you, Sinbad," I said, smirking darkly at him.

"She _is _pretty cute," Sinbad mused.

"So, Mikado, care to tell me exactly why you started talking to a gravestone of me?" I asked. Sinbad looked especially interested, which only made Mikado fluster.

"W-Well, to be honest, it was just a way for me to reorganize my thoughts and it kept me closer to you-"

"I did something like that as well. I wrote journals and stuff, I'll show you them later," I say off-handedly. He looks at me in curiosity.

"Well, it went like this. I found out you were missing, and I feared the worst, so I decided to make a tribute to you, because no one else remembered your presence except me." He says, his eyes looking sad, and I get the feeling he's going to cry again. Dammit, no.

* * *

_The past_

_"So, Masaomi, today our class got in trouble for talking too much." _

_"What's that? Oh, I'm sure you'd love to flirt with the girl, wouldn't you?" _

_Mikado paused. "Eh? Well, she really would like you. You should give her your number. I'll recommend you to her. She's your personality type, too!"_

_"Senpai!"_

_A new voice cried out. Mikado paused._

_"Eh? Oh, Masaomi, I've gotta go….I'll..see you tomorrow! I'll be back…I'll bring fresh flowers."_

_ Mikado stared at the makeshift grave of his best friend, Kida Masaomi, for a few moments and then placed his schoolbooks down, along with some fresh flowers. He, along with Saki and Sonohara-san had marked it. They were the only ones who had visited his grave._

_No one else wanted to. Even Izaya had only visited once or twice, just to mock him._

_"Still talking to yourself, huh?" Aoba Kuronuma sneered._

_"Shut up," Mikado growled, "It's just to remember him. I know he's alive and out there somewhere. I'm sure he's still thinking about me, isn't he?"_

_"He's dead, get used to it," Aoba sneered again._

_'That's right, my best friend Masaomi Kida has been dead for two years. He went missing and they declared him dead. I still can't get over it.' Mikado thought, looking out the classroom window in boredom._

_Life was so dull without Masaomi by his side._

_'Masaomi, I miss you. I wish you were still here with me.' He thought, imagining his best friend smiling and saying his name. 'I'm fifteen now. He died two years ago. He's dead, right? Right…?'_

_Elsewhere..._

_"Your Highness," A young man, obviously a guard, said, looking quite annoyed._

_"Yes, what is it?" The king of Balbadd, Rashid Saluja, said, looking tired and worn like usual. Life wasn't easy for him._

_"Well, uh, you see...the thing is, Prince Abhmad and Sahbhmad have been fighting again."_

_The king sighed. "Send them downstairs and I'll talk it over with them."_

_"Yes, sir," The guard said, but as he turned to leave, the king waved his hand at him._

_"...Sometimes I wonder if Sahbhmad deserves a better brother. Sometimes I wonder if I should adopt some of the street children and give them a better life..." Rashid muttered, more to himself than anyone else._

_"Your Majesty, no!" The man cried, "They have to be pure-blooded nobles, don't they?"_

_"Who says they have to be?" Rashid said, a strange glint coming into his eyes, which made the other man flinch._

_"Uh...okay." The guard said, both puzzled and scared by Rashid's sudden personality change. When the guard left, Rashid's gaze went to the window._

_"What would it be like to have a child like that, a child that I would adopt off the streets and raise like they were my own? I've always wondered that, ever since you died...Anise." He whispered, thinking of the woman he'd loved who'd died. It was tragic._

_The room that the two were in was pretty dingy, if not a bit homey. There were two boys in the room. One was a boy with hair that was a dark brown, almost purple in color, that hung down his back. His honey brown eyes were looking over at the corner of the room at the other boy._

_This boy's name was Cassim. He fingered the sword he had for a few moments before repressing a loud yawn as he blinked sleepily, wondering when the other was going to come to bed. It was quite late._

_The other was focusing on the dim light of the candle to write, and for some reason he had a weird device open that he was looking at._

_The fourteen year old watched the other boy before him, who was jotting things down at a rapid pace, his eyes never leaving the paper before him._

_The other wore a grey sweatshirt that was falling apart in places, but despite this, the other sought to wear it. He wore a white shirt that the other had stolen for him; and the other also had a dagger around his waist as well. It was quite a strange one, and Kassim noticed that he often liked wearing it._

_He had strange white piercings on his ears, though he also wore golden earrings the other had given him as a gift. Blond bangs flopped in the other boy's face as he eagerly darted across the page with his quill, occasionally stopping, muttering things under his breath and then laughing._

_"How much longer are you going to keep doing that until you go to bed?" Cassim said in annoyance, "I'm getting tired of this. Come on, it's time for bed. I'd rather go to bed. You can write to your fairy tale characters tomorrow."_

_The other looked up and shot him an annoyed look. "Sorry, Cass, I'm not done. I've still got more to do." He said. Golden eyes turned back to the paper he was looking at. "Writing to my friend."_

_"Ah, the one you lost before?" Cassim said. When the other didn't answer, he pursed his lips and then said, "Is it like a diary or something, Alibaba?"_

_"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" The other grumbled._

_"Look, I told you you needed to fit in, and Alibaba's the perfect Arabic name. No one will ever know that you're not really Arabic. I'm teaching you Arabic, you know."_

_The other boy sighed, pushing his blond hair back with his fingers. "It still doesn't help the fact that I don't fit in completely! The least I can do is still let him know that I think of him!"_

_"Your friend Mikado...what is he like?" Cassim asked as the other extinguished the candle with a wave of his hand and came over to sit beside him. "Er...Masa?"_

_"Masa's fine," Alibaba grumbled, "I'm more used to Alibaba now, honestly." He flopped down beside Cassim. They were two young friends who only had each other, orphans, even. They had no choice but to live in squalor. "You've been so kind to me, ever since I landed in this world..."_

_"World?" Cassim said, looking at his friend in confusion. Alibaba sometimes said strange things, but this definitely took the cake for the strangest. He wondered what exactly the other meant by that._

_The blond sighed. "I don't think you're really gonna believe me, are you, Cass? But I don't just come from Japan, I come from a place far beyond this...like, uh, in the future."_

_"The future?" Cassim said, "Huh, that explains why you stand out so much. You're crazy...but I guess I can accept it. I mean, in a world like ours, it really makes no sense that you wouldn't know of Djinns or Dungeons! I guess anything's possible. So what was your life like back there?"_

_"It had its ups and downs," Alibaba said, sounding depressed again. He hated when his friend got so depressed about this. But the blond often stayed mum on the subject of his past or what he was doing before he got there. Often, he would just say, 'It's complicated' and live it at that, as some kind of excuse to not say anything more about it. It seemed that like Cassim, Alibaba, too, put on a pretense to hide his inner pain._

_"Alibaba, the past can be quite harsh, can't it?" Cassim said. "I understand how you feel. Sometimes I have dreams of what it'd be like if we grew up together. It paints a different picture." _

_"I'm sure that no matter **what** happens, we'd still be friends, right?" Alibaba said, "I mean, you've helped me so much, you've helped me hit on women, you've even helped me learn the language! Nothing better than Alibaba! Soon, all the women will be screaming about the great romanticist." The other said, snuggling closer and rolling over, so his arms were crossed behind his neck. _

_"So this Mikado person...is?" _

_Alibaba's eyes softened. "...He's...my friend. The first friend I ever had, my childhood friend. I met him when I was five years old. The one who I want to see more than anyone else. He left when I was only around nine, and the very day that I left that world, I saw him for the last time. I'd really like to do nothing more than to get back to him, but I don't know how." _

_His voice was quiet, but impassioned as he spoke. _

_"Mikado's the kind of boy who's really naive and innocent. He just sees the good in everybody and doesn't see the bad." _

_"Kinda like you," Cassim said sarcastically._

_"Ahhhh, no!" Alibaba cried. "Anyway, he's just a lot like me, I guess. But back then I had a lot of dark thoughts on my mind and I decided I didn't want to exist. But he cheered me up, he kept me going. He was my innocence, he helped me. I just wish I could see him again, but there's no way I can do it." _

_"So you're writing in there every day about what you do like you want him to one day read it?" Cassim asked. _

_"Yeah."_

_"You might want to hide that stuff."_

_"Why?"_

_"Well, if people see you writing, they might think you're a noble and then they'll beat you up." _

_"Cassim, since when did I care about what other people thought of me?" Alibaba said with a dry chuckle, smirking impishly at him. _

_Cassim ruffled his friend's hair. _

_"Hey, I don't like it when people touch me!" He snapped._

_"I know. **Who** was the one who did that to you?" He said, pointing at Alibaba's left leg, which had an eerie scar on it that looked like a sword. _

_"Like I said," The other said, his tone hardening, as his fingers traced along the side of the mark, "...It was a guy whose name was...Ran something...I don't remember. He stabbed me with a blade there. Hey, Cassim, lately my memory has been...bad."_

_"Bad?" Cassim asked._

_"I..don't really know, but lately my memories of my life in that world are changing. It's like I'm forgetting things that I know I did. It's like my mind is becoming so used to me now that it's trying to erase who I used to be."_

_"Actually, I wouldn't mind being erased from existence," Cassim remarked._

_Alibaba looked at him in alarm. "You don't mean that-"_

_"Of course not, it was a joke," Cassim said, "But you deserve to live, Alibaba, you're a nice person."_

_"You deserve to live, too!" Alibaba said, startling Cassim, "If ever you were to disappear from this world and leave me alone, I'd be so...so..terrified! I'm so tired of losing people. I don't want to lose anyone else! Can you promise me you'll stay with me?" The other said, looking at him with pleading eyes._

_"Don't cry on me," Cassim grumbled._

_"Hey, I wasn't gonna cry!" The other snapped._

_Cassim just playfully nudged him before pulling the sheets closer. "Hey, Alibaba, this time try not to drag the sheets off the bed. You know there aren't many."_

_"Shut up!" The blond snapped._

_As Cassim fell asleep, Alibaba stared up at the ceiling, his golden eyes looking up at the sky and at the stars twinkling there. "Mikado..." He whispered, "I can hardly believe I'm here, in the past...living like this. I can hardly believe my hair's blond, too," He grumbled in annoyance._

_'But I've gotta do this. I've gotta survive, and I'll do this...I'll do anything to live...any fucking thing...' He thought as he slowly fell asleep._

_"...Stop it."_

_"...Hm?"_

_"...Stop it, Alibaba." Cassim growled._

_"...Stop what...?" He muttered._

_"Stop snoring!" Cassim protested._

_"I can't help it," Came the drowsy reply. "Shut up and go back to sleep."_

_"We've gotta share the same bed. I'll kick you outside and make you sleep next to the camels and they stink."_

_"I hate sleeping next to the camels, Cassim, and I fucking hate it."_

_"Well, then stop snoring. Next time I'll put you near water."_

_"O-Okay...I won't snore, or at least I'll try not to..." Alibaba said as he went back to sleep._

_Cassim awoke early in the morning. The sun would be rising soon, judging by the pink in the sky. He looked over at where Alibaba was, only to see that the other was drenched in sweat. From the way he was tossing and turning, it was obvious that the latter was having another nightmare. He had them often._

_"Izaya," Was the soft hiss from Alibaba's lips._

_There it was, that name again._

_"Who is this Izaya person who has put you through so much pain, Alibaba?" He whispered, feeling anger rise up in him. He wished he could hurt this person for making him go through this nightly ritual._

_"No...no...no, I..I'm not..going to die...I'm not going to..no..."_

_'Not this one again,' Cassim thought. "Alibaba!" He cried, shaking him to wake him up._

_Golden eyes shot open. "...Shit, Cassim, how long was I out for?" He said._

_"Well, it's morning now. Let's get ready." Cassim said._

_"Sure," Alibaba said._

_"I can't believe we're getting dragged in by royal people. Again, Cassim," Alibaba snapped._

_'That's because you were stupid enough to start a fight with them, all because they said they'd throw you in the ocean."_

_"Well, I can't help it! I fucking hate the water, I hate it, okay?" Alibaba screamed._

_"Let both of us go!" They both cried._

* * *

_Rashid Saluja shook his head as he saw the glare the dark-haired boy was sending him. Typical kid. It was unfortunate to see such hatred from a young child._

_His eyes widened then as he came upon the blond boy who had his head down. His hair...it was almost identical to how Rashid's was when he was younger. This boy...his golden eyes...the boy carried a strange sense of being unlike the other boy._

_Every word that fell out of his lips...Rashid was entranced._

_"Just let us go! We did nothing wrong! We're trying to survive and you stupid nobles won't give us anything!" The dark-haired youth spat. "Alibaba, say something!"_

_"...Just let us go. Cassim is right. We just want food to survive. Is there anything wrong with that?" The other spat. There was something interesting about this boy, something very interesting._

_"Your name is Alibaba, isn't it?" He asked the other boy. "Who gave you that scar?" He said, looking at the boy's leg._

_"Someone who intended to kill me," Alibaba said coldly. Rashid was shocked at the hatred coming from the boy._

_"How would you fare if I were to adopt you?"_

_"Huh?" The blond boy said. He had obviously never experienced the love of a parent. "No one's ever cared enough to..."_

_"Um, Cassim...that guy, the king, wants to adopt me."_

_"What?" Cassim said, "Then say no!"_

_"I'm not gonna be imprisoned for long! I'll get out! I won't become a corrupt noble bastard!"_

_"I know that," Cassim said, "don't forget about me."_

_"I won't!"_

_Alibaba smirked then as his ink danced across the pages._

_'Dear Mikado, you won't believe what happened to me today. I had swordplay lessons again and man my body is killing me. It's a lot tougher than it looks. I'm trying my hardest to overcome it and get back to you as soon as possible. P.S, Also I tried to escape by crossdressing, but needless to say, it didn't work. I had a good time and that's all that matters, isn't it-_

_"Who are you writing to, brother?" Sahbhmad asked, trying to get friendly with his youngest brother, one that he hadn't even been aware of. Instantly the young boy paled, grabbing his papers._

_"Is it to a noble girl?" Sahbmad asked._

_"...Maybe," The other said, his face bright red._

_"Can I see?" Sahbhmad said._

_"No...please, get out!" The other snapped._

_"Alibaba, I just want to get to know-"_

_"...It's none of your business." He said between clenched teeth as he led Sahbhmad out the door. "Don't people here know how to mind their own damned business?"_

_The answer to that, sadly, seemed to be no. Life as a noble was both better and worse than being Kida Masaomi. People listened to him when he talked. But then there was Ahbhmad and his constant insults towards him and Sahbhmad stuttering. Suddenly he wished he was an only child again._

_That night, he had an odd dream where golden lights were surrounding him. There was a boy among them with blue eyes like Mikado's._

_"There you are! I want to meet you!" The boy said._

_"Who are you?" Masaomi, or was it Alibaba, said._

_"Alibaba-kun, we'll meet someday!" The other said, in a tone that was so fucking similar to Mikado that it hurt, such innocence._

_"...Wait, Mikado!" The other cried._

_"I am not Mikado, sorry there, Alibaba. One day you will meet that who you wish to meet!"_

_"Mikado!" The other cried, waking up in time to see the sunrise. "Just a dream..." Alibaba muttered._

_Dear Mikado, yesterday I had another dream about you. It was so odd. These dreams really are starting to bother me. It's odd, huh? I mean, come on, it's interesting. Alibaba Saluja-P.S. that means that your best friend became a fucking prince and is proud of it. P.P.S Also I'm no longer a virgin. Did you know that?_

_By the time he was fifteen, women were already all over Alibaba. To the point where his father had to step in and say no, much to Alibaba's disappointment and chagrin._

_"Hey, little brother," Abhmad said, "You wanna get drunk?"_

_"Sure," Alibaba said. Several hours later, Rashid was scolding Abhmad for getting his younger brother drunk in an attempt to figure out where he came from._

_Dear Mikado, today I got so drunk today I nearly passed out. Abhmad did that to me. He's a freaking asshole and I wish he'd die a thousand times. Even worse than Izaya. He looks like a pig. Probably intentional or god's gift to him, or whatever. People say it looks like a djinn sat on his face. -Alibaba_

* * *

_Several years later (around two)_

_Dear Mikado, well, I'm working as a caravan driver now, so even though it sucks, I'm doing my best. I'm seventeen now, so what if I were to come back and find that I'm older than you are? It'd be quite awkward, wouldn't it? That's a scary thought. Just kidding. I never knew what it'd be like to be seventeen. I feel **olddddddd.**.. P.S. for some reason, the watermelons in this cart seem to be disappearing. I'm not quite sure why. I'm going to go figure out why. -Alibaba_

_Sure enough, he saw a boy eating a bunch of watermelons, and he had a huge belly from eating them. Alibaba's mouth fell open._

_"What? Who the hell are you?"_

_"Hi!"_

_Alibaba's blond eyebrow twitched and he resisted the urge to scream. Instead, he yanked the boy up by his shirt collar and glared at him. "I might have to pay for this and I really don't have money, you stupid brat!"_

_"You're lying, aren't you?"_

_Shit, who the hell was this kid? Suddenly, something familiar struck him about this brat._

_"Hey, you!" He cried, pointing at him, "You look a lot like that kid from my dream!"_

_"Dream?" The other said, looking at him with innocent eyes._

_"Y-You, don't you pretend to be dumb! You know what I'm talking about!" Alibaba demanded._

_"No, I don't. I'm Aladdin, and you are...mister?" He said._

_"Alibaba..." The other remarked, after he'd seen the boy do such a disgusting thing that even Mikado would flinch at._

_Dear Mikado, today I saw something so gross...I met this boy who was eating all the watermelons off the cart, see, and he did something so gross...he su-no, I can't write it down. I need brain bleach, major brain bleach-_

_"What are you doing? Are you writing to someone?" Aladdin asked. _

_"Sort of," The other said evasively, pushing his ink and paper away from where the other could see. _

_"Who is it? A girlfriend?" He asked. _

_"No, it's an old friend of mine," Alibaba answered distantly, very very annoyed. _

_"I see, Ugo tells me it's someone you miss a lot." _

_"Who is Ugo again?" Alibaba said, not really caring but wanting to know anyway._

_"...He lives in my flute."_

_"Oh, so it's a genie's flute, hmm? Could I meet him?" Alibaba said, smirking. 'I'm becoming like Izaya...scary.'_

_"Dear Mikado, today I tried to flirt with a cute chick, but it took a total wrong turn when it turned out that she was actually really freaking ugly. Seriously. Her name is Elizabeth, but she was so ugly I felt like I was having a heart attack," Alibaba read out loud._

_"Are you writing something to someone?" Aladdin asked._

_"...Yeah. I bet you didn't know this, kid...but I..I can't swim. I'm afraid of water."_

_"Ugo told me you're afraid of water. That makes sense, because you're not the element of water." Aladdin said._

_"Whatever you say, kid," Alibaba said._

_"Dear Mikado, today I cleared a dungeon, today I saw a cute girl but she was really a slave. And today I kicked a guy's ass who reminded me of Izaya, life is good. Oh, and also did I mention that Aladdin's gone missing and I'm gonna go look for him? Don't ask any questions!" Alibaba said out loud to himself and laughed while his servants looked on in confusion._

_"Dear Mikado, today Cassim tried to get me to join his gang. I said no. Is that a bad thing?" Alibaba asked himself._

* * *

"_What are_ these?" Mikado asked me.

"They're uh, diaries I wrote to you to cope with the fact that I was away from you for so long." I said. "They're kinda old-fashioned, so if you wanna read them, take a chance."

"I see," Mikado muttered, looking at me in disinterest. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know, figure it out yourself," I said teasingly. When he just flushed, I sighed.


	15. Chapter 15 Judal and Kogyoku

**A/N:I enjoy this story a lot! I hope you are all liking it. I have a few more flashbacks to go through, and then we can move on to Mikado seeing more of Sindria, and Izaya making his move to go up against them. He'll underestimate Alibaba, definitely. **

**Chapter Fifteen I can show you my world**

* * *

"This world sure _is _strange, Masaomi," Mikado says, clinging to my side. Funny, when I was little, I'd be clinging to his side. How the times have changed. He now sees me as the older brother figure, I guess.

"_Relax, _Mikado," I said. "Most of the people I know here are pretty nice, and not only that, I'll protect you from any would-be bad guys. And I _promise _I'll send you back home, and maybe I'll even come with you."

Hope fills his eyes, right then. "Are you sure, you'd really like to come with me?" He asks, hesitantly, "I mean, Izaya nearly killed you and you hate him, don't you?"

I look at him and laugh, patting his head. "He _wouldn't _know what hit him if I showed up, Mikado. I'm immensely strong now and very grateful to you for that. You've been there for me, even if we've been separated across time and space. I'm so happy to see you and be there for you."

He smiles, lightly. "I just hope the people here are nice," He says, letting go of my shoulder. Sure enough, most of the people around are looking at Mikado with curious stares on their faces. He is definitely a foreigner to their eyes. But I look at him for a second. Instead, he looks curious, eager, taking in everything around him.

"Masaomi, look at those fruits, look at those lights, look at those things!"

"Alibaba-kun, you mustn't let him wander too far now," Sinbad scolds. I glare at said man.

"Seeing as you yourself loaf around and aren't a proper king, I fail to see how that's appropriate, Your Majesty," Jafar remarks. I hear a chuckle behind me. My eyes widen...as Mikado collides with a familiar person. Of all people, why...him?

"A-Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to bump into y-you...O-Orihara-san? What's with the ponytail and why are you barefoot?" Mikado asks, coming close to...Judal, who looks bored. Not a good sign. I need to get him away from there.

"Go away before I kill you," Is Judal's predictable answer as he continues to bite into a peach he's eating. "And I will kill people."

I roll my eyes and come up to Mikado, pushing him aside gently, glaring at Judal. "Hey, Judal, pick on someone your own size and with their own Djinn abilities, why don't you?"

"Djinn?" Mikado repeats in confusion.

"Just watch this, Mikado, you're gonna love this. Spirit of Decorum and Austerity, I ask thou to consider mine will and grant me tremendous power. Amon, DJINN EQUIP!" I say, and in a flash of light, my arms are black with red lines running through them, and the sword is now a big huge black blade with flames running off of it.

"Boring," Judal yawns. But then his look turns to horror when I go Full Djinn Equip.

"Whaddya think, Mikado?" I say, flying up in the air and using my powers to send wave after wave of fire at Judal's ice barrages, much to Mikado's amazement. His mouth is wide open and there are tears trembling in his eyes of admiration. He's idolizing me, isn't he?

"Wow...those flames are amazing...you're so cool, _Alibaba_!" He cries. I smirk, finally he has acknowledged me with the proper name. I smile at him as I fight, until a familiar figure intervenes.

"Judal, stop this instant!"

It's Kogyoku. She, too, is in her Djinn state.

"Hi, Alibaba! How's it going? And who's that down there?"

"A-Ah, please don't kill me! But this is all so cool!" Mikado whines.

"I'm glad you think so, Mikado. It's my friend, Mikado." I explain, briefly, watching in amusement as Ren drags Judal away, despite his protests.

"She seems nice. Is she a princess, too?" Mikado asks.

I nod my head. "Yeah, she is. Now, come on, let's go look around some more!"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:Sorry for the wait between updates. I've been kinda bored/feeling out of it lately due to PMS and anxiety involving offline issues. But I hope to be updating several DRRR fanfictions this week, along with Game of the Future and others~I hope you enjoy them. Tumblr's become boring again, so here I am once more to entertain myself-and you guys! I love Alibaba so much, yet I put him through so much, ha ha! Anyhow, a few flashbacks this time around, but now we will be doing some more with Mikado and Alibaba. I might send Alibaba back to his time soon. ;D That should be fun to play with. **

**Sixteenth Exploration I can show you a whole new world...and other things, as well!**

* * *

My name is…well, that's a tough situation. I go by two names, actually. But I guess I'll begin by stating my real name within the pages of these notes; I know no one else besides me will ever really look at me, so why would it bother anyone if I stated my real name? My real name is…_Masaomi Kida_. I have since left behind that name and the past attached to it, but it continues to follow me everywhere I go, no matter what I do. It seems like I'll never completely escape what I used to be, nor who I used to be.

Now comes the roughest part; describing what my childhood was like; I've long since gotten over blaming myself for these events, it was only my own stupidity in these situations that got me into them to begin with and nothing else. But the world I came from was not the nicest of places. There are specific events I hate to recall, but for me to rest and not worry about anything and have a good sleep without having nightmares (ha!), I shall be writing down these events and these particular memories in no order, just as I remember them from my own mind.

It feels odd to be looking at my own memories as an outsider. But who'd have ever guessed I'd wind up in the past, of all places? Guess what that bastard said, in a way, is true; I'll never fully escape my past nor who I used to be, unless I face my fears head-on. So now begins my tale of who I used to be; in particular several memories will be looked at; first how my mother treated me, second how my classmates treated me, third, Izaya's idea of 'fun' for me, and finally a more recent memory, if you will. This one will be a special one I will only look at if I need to. My name is Alibaba Saluja, but these dreams are real, these notes are real, and everything that happened to me is real.

P.S. Never believe Izaya Orihara, under _any_ circumstances, is capable of good. Look where that got me. Though without his crap, I'd have never met my friends nor gotten Djinn Equip, so maybe I'm thankful to the guy for something. Signed-A.S. or M.K.

I believe the first thing I can really recall of my childhood, if I close my eyes and think back over it, would be how my mother treated me. I have said before how she treated me, but one cannot help but go back over memories over and over again, like some sort of broken record. Funny how that is, right?

I don't even know what my mother's first name was; her last name was Kida, the name of the man she married. My father's given name was never known to me, either, as both were lost when I was relatively young. My father never bothered to show his face into my life even when I was a very young boy growing up, so I never knew his name or his face. It's possible he left before I could even talk. I'll never know.

Did my mother ever hold me in her arms and talk to me lovingly? I'm sure she would have, if two things hadn't happened (but the first fact being that she was a disgusting human being with no love in her heart for a child at all), the first being that my father leaving caused her to resent the child that was his, with his last name, and also that I was born out of wedlock, as my parents were not wed. The second reason is simple: I was not planned to be born. My birth was an utter accident and mistake in the eyes of my parents.

Once my mother discovered she was pregnant (she confessed this to me one night while drunk) she did everything she could to get rid of me, even though it didn't work. She even tried to abort me, before my father convinced her out of it. But as soon as I was born, she instantly hated me. Nothing I ever did could make her change her mind. In her eyes, I was the one thing that had gotten rid of her beloved, and she felt free to remind me by yelling at me every day about it.

My name, Masaomi, was used quite frequently, as a term of opprobrium and disgust; she took it upon herself to distance herself from me as much as possible after she'd nursed me and I'd become a toddler. She'd taught me to say my first word, which was, ironically, 'Dada.' Guess who got a smack in the face for saying that? I did.

I would live out most of my days in that house, out of fear for my life. One time I can recall a lovely time when she kicked me down the stairs and then yelled at me for not being fast enough to get out of her way. Not fair to say to a child of only four, don't you think?

Alas, my life only got worse before it got better. Here are the darker parts of it, recalled straight from my memories so I am sure they are as vivid as can be.

I came home from school like I usually did, or rather, kindergarten (my teacher had decided to escort me some of the days home, but I told her 'Mommy will definitely come get me.'

I shivered as I walked on the ice, my little feet slipping every which way. My muscles weren't well-developed yet, and I still had an ache from where my mother had 'accidentally' hit me with a shoe.

I walked over to the sliding door and reached to pull it open, only to realize…it was locked. I looked around. She was inside, I could hear her, making strange sounds in her room. My eyes widened, as instantly I started to rap and pound on the door, but I was too little to leave much of a noise.

"Let me in, Mom! Please, let me in! Let me in!" I begged, tears falling from my eyes as more snow fell from the sky, and I felt myself getting colder and colder. Five minutes passed, then ten. I heard movement. My eyes widened hopefully and I waited for her to answer or open the door, but she didn't. Instead, I heard her footfalls go at the door, pause, and then turn away and walk towards the living room.

Frantically, I pounded on the door, harder and harder, cursing, saying every bad word I could imagine at the top of my little lungs, only for the door to be ignored and for the footsteps to die down.

I huddled on the ground, shivering and shaking as the snow touched my hands and feet. I didn't want to die, yet even at that age I knew if I stayed out too long I was surely going to die.

"Someone, help me…" I whispered, shaking…in utter fear. I was getting colder and colder, and there was no escape from it. "If only I…"

"If only I could…be stronger…" I whispered. "Then maybe…Mama would love me…."

Suddenly a strong feeling of warmth surrounded me and a bright light overtook my vision. I didn't know what it was but then I didn't feel so cold anymore, I looked down at the snow and saw it was melting from my touch. It had been an hour now, and she still hadn't let me back in.

A sudden, burning rage overtook me and I charged at the door, and suddenly the next thing I knew, I was inside, only my mom was….well, let's just say the next second she ran at me, screaming and cursing, and threw me into my room and locked the door, but not before throwing some food she had as leftovers out the window so I couldn't reach them.

Yes, my mother was a truly, loving individual, wasn't she? It really didn't bother me when she left. Oh, remember how her lover stabbed her to death, though? Karma. I was only eight or nine, after all. Oh, yes, here's where those two big things happened in my life.

* * *

Bullies. Who can forget about those awful human beings known as bullies? They loved to make my life a living hell.

"Freak. I heard you screamed outside your door for your mother to come and let you in! What a freak you are!"

"Yeah, why does the teacher even let you sit here? You should sit on the ground! You're not worthy of sitting here! Don't come near me!"

"I heard you try to hit on girls. That's creepy. You're so disgusting no girl would ever want to go out with you. Kida, what a stupid name. Kida, Kida, stupid Kida!"

My face flushed but I kept my eyes focused on the teacher, as the kids kicked my chair, laughed, made faces at me and passed notes. As I was flipping through my notebooks, suddenly one of my schoolbooks fell down and landed on Mikado's foot, causing him to squeal in pain.

"Mikado!" I cried. But instantly I noticed the stare of another kid.

"…Your fault, you monster. You're nothing but a monster."

I frowned as the whole class left for lunch, sitting in my desk.

"Masaomi?"

I snapped my head up in time to meet his concerned gaze, and smiled. "Hi, Mikado! What's up, I'm gonna flirt with like a thousand women and you can watch!"

"Masaomi, were they picking on you?"

I couldn't answer him then. I was nothing more than a pathetic coward. I froze up, shaking my head 'no.'

"I-I have to be somewhere!" I said, nervously heading out to the playground. My mistake.

I sat there, crying softly until my shirt was grabbed from behind and I met the faces of one of the bullies.

"Found ya, you monster! Time to have some fun with you!"

"Let go of me!" I cried, but flinched as they threw me to the ground and they started throwing rocks at me. This pain didn't matter…nothing mattered.

"…Stop it!"

"You don't deserve to exist! Die, monster, die!"

'As long as I'm the one getting this treatment and not anyone like…Mikado…'

"STOP HURTING MASAOMI!"

My eyes widened. Time seemed to freeze at that moment as Mikado charged in front of me, arms outstretched.

"If you want to hurt someone, hurt me instead!"

"No, Mikado!" I begged.

Then, a particularly large rock was thrown by one of the kids and it hit Mikado smack-dab on the head, before my wide eyes. Mikado hit the ground, lifeless and unmoving.

"Ha ha, look at all the blood trailing from his body! He's weak!"

"Let's kill the monster next, too!"

"M-Mikado…?" I whispered, shakily, reaching out to shake him. He didn't move. I watched all the blood fall down his face, and shook him, tears pouring down my face. "N-No, you stupid idiot! You weren't supposed to do this for me! How stupid are you? Mikado, MIKADO, WAKE UP!"

He didn't move. The kids continued laughing and pelting rocks. I looked up at them.

*This might be an anime reference. See if you can catch it.*

"…You know…the ones who do such inhuman, cruel things like hurt my own friends…." I whispered, feeling a strange air overtake me.

"DESERVE TO BURN!"

I got back up, somehow I'd been knocked unconscious…only in time to see the ground scorched and the kids before me with burns on their faces, hands and feet.

"MONSTER!"

"RUN, HE'LL KILL US!"

"HE REALLY IS A MONSTER!"

"What do they mean…?" I whispered, but my eyes widened as I caught sight of my hands…or rather, what _used_ to be my hands. For some reason, my hands or nails were now black, with talons running through them and red lines running through them. There was fire running off of them.

"What the hell is all this….?" I whispered, taking in my hands, before I heard a whimper.

"…Masaomi…"

"Mikado…" I whispered, reaching out a hand to touch him, before I realized; I could seriously kill him with these hands, these weird powers, whatever they were. I did the only thing I could do; I ran away, the same thing I always did. What a fucking coward I was. I was stupid. I was a stupid idiot who always ran all the time.

"Go back to normal!" I cried, throwing water from the sink onto my weird hands and then flinching. It hurt, somehow.

Why did this stuff always have to happen to me?

"Masaomi, why won't you say anything to me?" Mikado said from his hospital bed as I stacked books on his bedside.

"These are, uh, homework assignments the teacher asked me to give you. To make up for things, these are things I uh-made myself…?"

"Didn't your mother make those for you?"

"Mikado, when did that bitch ever care about anything I did?" I snapped, a bit more harsh than I'd intended. "I'm sorry…" I whispered.

"Besides, it doesn't matter if I stole that food-"

"You stole this food? How can I accept it?" Mikado said, glaring at me. I stepped back.

"Look, Mikado, I'm sorry, I really, uh, have to go."

"Um, Masaomi, those bullies had burns on their bodies. Did you have anything to do with…?"

"No, of course not. Humans can't have superpowers, you know!" I said, smiling.

—

I ran into Izaya when I was only nine years old and we had a strange relationship.

My life with Izaya was strange. He let me do whatever I wanted, go wherever I wanted, eat whatever I wanted and insisted he would pay for it. But he never did. Eventually I figured out being with Izaya was going places for free. He always seemed so nice, too, doing whatever I wanted. He was like the father I'd never had.

The Izaya of my world was much more cruel and sadistic than the Izayas I've met. I'm not sure why this is. But I do know that all the others will eventually learn how evil Izaya is. I never knew that he was using me. He let me go to kiddie events, he let me do what I wanted.

Which is why I'd been so accustomed to stealing as Alibaba Saluja; Izaya had enforced it in me.

"Okay, Masaomi-kun. You've already tried alcohol-"

"What is it?" I said. "My birthday's coming up soon. I'll be ten!"

"Exactly," He said, "And that's why I'm going to give you a _special _present for your tenth birthday. See this man over here? He's wanted for raiding some private stocks and blackmailing their funds. He's useless."

He put a gun in my hands. "Now, I've already gotten all the info I needed out of him, so go and **execute **him."

He looked at me. "Well? Go ahead and do it."

"You're just a brat!" The man said. "You can't honestly be expecting a kid to shoot me! What a joke?"

"I-I can't kill him! H-He's a human!"

"What about all of the people who've mistreated you in the past, Masaomi? Think about how much they've hurt you, like the ones who hurt your poor Mikado-kun, hmm?"

As he whispered these cruel words into my ear, I couldn't help but feel that he was right.

"Remember, you're nothing without me."

"Yeah, that's right…" I said shakily. "I guess so.." I could feel sweat dripping down my back as I raised the gun and fired. I missed.

I wanted to shoot him in the chest so as to spare him further pain, but instead I'd just grazed his arm.

"Stupid kid! Is that the best you can do? Aren't you some worthless kid, just being used by this informant like a tool? Aren't you a funny one? Nothing but a joke."

I could feel my heart start to pound faster and faster in my chest…

"Izaya's a stupid informant and you're just a pathetic brat."

The next thing I knew, I felt a boiling rage build up within me, another 'burning' sensation.

And before I knew it, I'd taken the gun and bolted away from it. I didn't want to kill the guy.

"Masaomi-kun, what's wrongggg~? You've gotta go back and finish the job."

"I don't want to kill him!" I cried.

"You have no choice but to listen to your master and do as you're told, right?"

"R-Right," I said, shaking.

"Aw, are you shaking, Masaomi-kun? Too bad, the entire world is cruel and only I care about you, so if you do this, it'll be another way of showing how loyal you are to me, right…?" He said, placing a finger on my chin.

"I'm not going to do it…"

He looked at me and scowled. "What did you say?"

"I said, to hell with you! I'm not doing it!" I snapped, only to receive a sharp slap to the shoulder.

"You will do as I say, Masaomi. Your life is only of any worth because I deem it so. Remember, I could kill you if I wanted. But remember that I am far too kind to do such a thing."

"Now please go back there and kill him."

Reluctantly, I went.

"Ha, pathetic little brat! You still think you've got enough guts to kill me! You're so worthless and pathetic you can never amount to anything!'

"You are worthless and pathetic, Masaomi. Let those words consume you and don't you ever forget them, for they are always true."

'Worthless…pathetic…worthless..pathetic…'

The words slammed around in my mind and I could feel myself shaking uncontrollably.

I pulled the trigger, my hands shaking, and stared at the lifeless body.

"Look at that! What a good little tool you are! So nice, now remember this, Kida Masaomi. Remember that this all falls upon you. And any time you defy me, you might end up like that man, bleeding, lifeless, an empty corpse on the sidewalk, would you really want that, I wonder?"

I shook in terror. "No…" I whimpered.

"Good, then, prove yourself useful to me physically and mentally."

"Izaya?" I said, one year later.

"Yes, Masaomi-kun, what is it?"

"I…why did you have me kill that man? I didn't want to do it."

"Being rebellious again, are we, Masaomi? I suppose I have no choice but to teach you a lesson."

Despite the fact that he hurt me, he was kinder to me than my mother was. At the time, my psyche was so damaged that I'd somehow, thought it was natural to be treated that way.

"Alibaba, I think we're lost," Morgiana said.

"Yeah, I can tell," I grumbled.

"Wouldn't it be better if we got an informant or something to help us, Lord Alibaba?" Hakuryuu asked.

But the second I heard that word informant, my heart froze.

"…No, nothing to do with bastards like that." I hissed.

"Alibaba-kun?" Aladdin asked.

"N-No, it's nothing." I muttered.

* * *

"Masaomi, you were spacing out again," Mikado said worriedly. I patted his head.

"Hey, I'm like the older brother now! Look at the age difference!"

"Masaomi, that's _not_ fair!" Mikado cried.

I smiled at him. "You're still the same, even if you did sin and start a gang. I suppose I should reward you by _tickling_ you."

"N-No, no tickling, Masaomi! I hate tickles, I!"

I tackled Mikado to the ground, momentarily forgetting about all my muscle mass until he started whining with me on top of him.

"I-It's not the same when you're older than I am and heavier. Why do you have to be taller than me...it's not fair," He whined. I still couldn't help but feel like Mikado was hiding some of his true feelings towards me.

"Sorry," I said impishly, getting off him and smirking. "I didn't feel bad about doing it, though."

"MASAOMI!" He cried.

Still like old times? Maybe not quite the same, but I suppose even if I've changed in some ways, in others I'm the same. Does it really matter, though?

"And I said to call me another name, right?"

"U-Uh, Alibaba?"

"Better!" I said mockingly.

"You're still as mean as ever," Mikado pouted.


	17. Chapter 17 the truth part one

a/n: POV switch to third person, just for this flashback.

Chapter 17: The truth

* * *

He's changed. She knows this. She knows it, she knows it, she knows it. He has changed. IT is something she does not like.

There is something different about him, something she can't quite put her finger on, which bothers her. Normally, she is quite adept at describing how her best friend behaves, at how the one she might just be in love with-behaves.

She's not quite certain exactly, what has changed to make him act this way, but she wants to know. Maybe she is just doubting things, she thinks, as she sits on the rainy ground, studying the leftover remnants of a thunderstorm that had started when the three of them were exploring together. They had taken refuge under a huge tree for shelter.

Crimson eyes pored over the grass as her soft, yet strong hands pushed the grass aside, as if searching for something, though it was an idle gesture. She sniffed the air. She could smell all kinds of things if she wanted to.

Yes, because she was a Fanalis, she had stronger strength than the average human being. She could jump to about ten feet. That was ordinary for her. Jumping off a building, kicking rocks or boulders…these were all too easy for Morgiana, the Fanalis, to accomplish.

For the first half of her life, though, she had been nothing but a slave to Lord Jamil, a terrifying man who had happily made her life hell. Luckily, he was deceased now. Thankfully, those dark, lonely days were now over.

She had a tutor, Masrur. She had friends-Kougyoku, the recently fallen into depravity Hakuryuu, the one standing beside her-and one other, who was currently missing, for some strange reason, and that made her awfully worried.

Lately, he'd been disappearing for some reason. He would often make excuses and wander off. Then she wasn't able to find him, she wasn't able to smell him. Then he would return.

She wasn't quite sure about his troubling behavior. It worried her.

She pushed her red hair back with her fingers as her lips extended out in a pout. The blue-haired boy beside her offered her no small words, for he, too was worried, as his blue eyes continued scouring the horizon, searching for the boy that should be by their side.

"Where do you think he is, Morgiana?" The happiness that was usually in the boy-Aladdin's-tone was gone. Because if their sun was not with them, then the world was not right.

She shook her head, feeling like she wanted to cry, but she must not. She was stronger than that. She was his wings, and if she wasn't there to support him, he would crash. He had told her that once, and meant every word of it, right?

"I…I'm awfully worried about him."

"About Alibaba-kun?" Aladdin said. "You mean, his odd behavior recently?"

"Yes, it's become more obvious. The more I hang out with him, the more I notice it. Don't get me wrong, he always has been odd. His scent always has been."

"What do you mean, Morgiana?" Aladdin asked.

She looked at him for a few moments before she spoke. "His scent…smelled of someone unlike us. It was a bizarre feeling. I can't quite explain it. All I know is that it's something I've never felt from anybody else. It's as if he is…not entirely what he seems."

"Alibaba-kun would _always_ tell me the truth!" Aladdin said, suddenly offended by the idea that his own best friend would lie to him.

"I think…I think he has some things that even he hasn't bothered to tell us yet." Morgiana spoke quietly, not wishing to anger Aladdin, but her efforts fell on deaf ears.

"WHY WOULDN'T HE TELL ME?" Aladdin cried, distressed. "I thought he would tell me anything! Why wouldn't he?" Tears of anger filled in his eyes.

"Relax. I'm sure he'll be back." She said gently.

"He'd better be! I'm gonna go find him!"

"Wait!" Morgiana said, getting up and grabbing Aladdin's arm, pulling him back slightly. "Let me tell you some of the peculiarities I've noticed about Alibaba lately. When this thunderstorm brewed up, for some reason Alibaba got panicked and decided to hide. Have you noticed that he seems to be more increasingly afraid of water lately?"

"He never seemed to show any sign of being bothered by it before." Aladdin remarked. "But yeah, I have noticed it. It's strange."

"For some reason, he keeps looking at you with a sad look in his eyes. I'm not sure how to describe it, but he seems a bit more…depressed and worn out. And he's become awfully secretive lately. He takes longer to fall asleep than the rest of sometimes, I'll hear him having nightmares. He hardly ever sleeps. Usually, he's insomniac and he pretends that nothing's wrong but I can see the circles under his eyes. I'm not quite sure what's troubling him, but whatever it is, it's something big."

"Where could he have gone?" Aladdin cried.

"I'm not so sure. But whatever it is, it must have to do with his odd behavior lately."

"What could he be hiding that's so important he can't tell me? I thought Alibaba-kun and I agreed on that day that we could tell each other anything! I told him about being a Magi, about being from the past…I told him everything…but he…but he.."

Aladdin broke at that point, tears streaming out of his eyes. "Where is he? Alibaba-kun, come back!" He cried.

"It's all right." Morgiana reassured. "I'm sure he'll be back soon-hang on."

She smelled something different-something familiar and yet not. She came toward it.

"There's something odd over there." She said. Curious, Aladdin followed her as she came towards the odd object. It was a scrap of…parchment?

It was old and faded-looking.

She picked it up and studied it.

It was written in odd-looking characters, in a language she'd never seen before. It definitely wasn't Arabic. There was no doubt about it; it was Alibaba's handwriting. Alibaba's handwriting was neither extremely fancy like most of the nobles', nor was it messy.

It was simply…careless. It was as if he was always filled with energy. Even though she could not read what had been written, the way that the symbols were formed, that it was a letter. A letter to someone, but who?

Alibaba's name was signed at the bottom, but…below it, there was another set of symbols, in the same weird language.

"What language is this?" She said, handing it to Aladdin so he too could read it.

His eyes scanned over the paper. "I don't know. Alibaba-kun knows another language? He told me he was educated as a noble. Maybe this is one of the languages he was taught."

"I don't know. It doesn't look like any language I've ever seen. It looks like an…Asian one."

"What does that mean? What is it, exactly?" Aladdin asked curiously.

"It's a letter."

"Who would he be writing to? This makes no sense. Maybe he went to go look for this person." Aladdin said.

Morgiana frowned. This made no sense. She wanted answers out of the blond prince and she was going to get them…now. She stomped her feet angrily.

Aladdin flinched. "No, no need to resort to violence now, Morgiana! We'll be fine."

"Hang on." She said. Where she had found the scrap of paper before, there were more scraps. She picked it up. This one was written in Arabic, with a mixture of the odd language. Though the Arabic was very…sloppy. Evidently it had been written by him when he was younger.

* * *

'You won't believe this! But today I met Morgiana, Fanalis girl, who can kick through walls. It's so amazing! My heart was literally pounding with excitement. I wish you could be here to see it. To see all of this. That's the only reason I'm writing all of this, you know. I'm not sure you'll ever even hear from me again, or see my face. And the thought of not being able to hear your voice, see your smile, or hear you say my name saddens me deeply.'

'How much longer can I keep on living a lie? How much longer can I keep on pretending what is fake? I know they suspect something, but I don't want to get them involved. It's in the past, anyway. Like everything…including you. You, who I can never see again. You, who I rely on. You, who mean the world to me, maybe even more than Aladdin, maybe more than Morgiana. I'm not sure. I'm not sure of anything anymore. All I know is I try too hard to be confident and then fail. The others…they don't even really know how many times I lie and say I'm happy when I'm not. They don't know that I only pretend to be stupid, that I pretend to be clueless of romance, that I know so much more than I let on, but I can't let them in. I just can't…I can only write these diaries when I'm sure I'm not being watched.'

'And it hurts. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts…okay, I think you get the point. You always used to tell me not to be so melodramatic, but I can't help it. It's part of who I am, after all.'

Signed, the Alibaba Saluja, prince of Balbadd.

Pretty nice title, right?

"What does that mean?" She said.

A smile creased Aladdin's features. "It's like he's writing to a friend. But I'm not sure who he means. What does he mean…?"

"He's been…lying to us? Things that he can't tell us? What the hell? I thought we could trust in him!"

"I don't understand anything, either. What does he mean by not being able to see his friend, again. Is he talking about Kassim?" Aladdin said.

"Maybe it's…someone else. Someone else he ran into on his journeys."

"That could be possible," Aladdin remarked.

She handed him another parchment. Most of it was in Arabic, but still a few weird symbols remained.

'_He's dead. I can't honestly believe it. Kassim died…in my arms. It's all my fault. All my fault, all my fault, all my fault, all my fault. Just as he said. That day. That day I will never forget. I can't…hold onto anyone, I am worthless. I am nothing but a coward, someone who cannot do anything. Weak. Worthless, pathetic. But of course, you would not want to hear me say those words. So I am glad you cannot read this. Because you wouldn't have to hear my cries as I sob into the body of the person who helped me make my way, of the person who gave me light when I only saw darkness, who made me trust when I had no one._

_I can't stop…crying. How could he…die like that?_

_There were teardrops on the paper, quite a few._

'_I can't…write any more.'_

_-Alibaba_

"I never knew he was keeping a diary. He's been writing to his friend." Aladdin said. "That's what kept him up at night."

"But who? And where did he go?" Morgiana said.

Her eyes widened then as a familiar smell came back.

There he was, running, a bright cheery smile on his face, his sword by his side, holding what looked like fruit in his hands.

"Hey guys!" He called out casually, waving a hand up. "Sorry that I disappeared. I had some things I had to take care of, but now I'm back! How long was I gone for?"

"You were gone for an entire day." Morgiana said.

"I was?" He muttered, "Huh. Didn't know it took that long. I got us some food if you want to eat. Man, at times like these I really wish I had a car-never mind."

"Alibaba, what is this?" Morgiana said, holding the diaries before Alibaba's face.

Alibaba's smile fell off. His face turned from embarrassment, to surprise, to sadness, to sudden anger, all in less than ten seconds. "Where did you get that?" He snapped, in a low voice she'd never heard him use before.

Her face fell.

"Well, they were near your tent."

"And you thought it was okay to look through someone else's diary?" He snapped. "That stuff is private."

"Why were you keeping secrets?"

"I'm NOT keeping secrets!" He snapped, his face bright red. "Everybody holds things back! If everyone told people everything about themselves, it'd be-"

"It'd be what? I told you about my being a slave, and you were okay with it. I told you about being a Fanalis and you were okay with that. Aladdin told you about who he really is, but somehow you can't tell us anything? We just read in your diaries that you were talking to someone we don't even know, who you never even bothered to tell us about-"

"That's not-" He said, but was cut off by her rant.

"Someone who might not even be a good person-"

"_O-Of course he is!"_

"Someone who could be after your life-"

**_"N-No, you've got it all wrong, he's-"_**

"Calling yourself worthless and weak and useless, saying you're lying to us and holding things back, how do you think we're supposed to feel about all of that? Do you think we're supposed to feel happy? Happy that you're not really happy, at all? I always thought you were happy! Alibaba, tell us the truth. What is all _this about? Who are you writing to? And this person, what if he were out to do you harm-"_

_"HE NEVER WOULD DO ME HARM!"_

Alibaba cried. They flinched at the iciness in his voice as he glared at them, fiercely. They'd never seen him get so enraged before. His golden irises were filled with…tears, that he wiped away frantically.

"You're wrong…that person would never do such things. Don't you ever say such things about him again!" He boomed.

"Who are you writing to?"

"No one!" He snapped. "Someone I can never see again. Didn't you read it?"

"I don't get what you mean."

"You don't have to!" He snapped.

"Yes, I have to!"

"Some things _aren't_ meant to be known! You don't just snoop around in other people's business!"

"Well, then, where have you been all day?"

"That's a…that's a…secret. I…"

"If you really value us as friends, shouldn't you tell us what's bothering you? I really care about you, Alibaba, so to see you so despondent over something, how are we supposed to help?"

"Alibaba-kun."

He froze as he took in Aladdin's pleading face.

He looked away again, his fists tightened.

"Mikado…" He whispered. "I'm sorry, I've gotta go now!" He said, in a language they didn't understand.

"What did you say?" Morgiana said.

"I'm really sorry, but I've gotta go. There's nothing you guys can do to help. Please leave me alone." He blinked and put his hand over his mouth. "Did I just…?"

"Speak in another language? Yeah. Where did you learn it?" Morgiana said icily.

"It's my…native tongue." He muttered, bitterly, as though it were something he wanted to forget.

"Why didn't you tell us you knew another language?" She snapped.

"Reasons."

"Like what?"

"It's…complicated. I can't hope to explain everything."

"You can! Tell me, what's going on with you? We're your friends, aren't we?" Morgiana said, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. Still, he kept that eerily detached look on his face.

"Look what happened to Kassim. If you stick with me, you'll just die. So what's the point in having you know anything? If you know too much, you might die. So I…"

SMACK.

The slap to Alibaba's cheek was so hard that even Aladdin froze at the ferocity of it.

Alibaba touched his now stinging cheek, looking at her with wide eyes. "…Morgiana…" He began, "I…"

"Tell us why you decided to lie!"

"It wasn't my choice! I had no choice but to…just shut up, Morgiana. You have no way of understanding anything. I just can't…" His face took on a desperate look she'd never seen him have before.

_"I…I…don't…force me…how could you hope to understand anything at all about me_?" His voice was shaking, his fists were tightened, as tears of agony streamed out of his eyes. They'd never seen him look so broken down before. Oh wait, yes they had. Only one time only. When they'd seen him cry over Kassim.

She looked at him with pity.

"Just leave. There's nothing you can do for me! Just leave!"

Morgiana frowned, and then…

SMACK.

She struck him again, on his other cheek.

"Is that all you've got?" He said, chuckling darkly. "While you're at it, you might as well grab a knife and finish the job, huh? Just like before…" He muttered.

"What do you mean?"

He rubbed his cheeks, looking at them. "I'm sure you're all confused. So let me just begin."

"Right." She said sarcastically, before sitting down.

"Morgiana!" Aladdin said, but Morgiana was already silent, glaring stonily at Alibaba. "She's awfully disappointed in you, Alibaba-kun."

"No one's more disappointed in me than myself." He said. "That's right. You're seeing the true side of Alibaba Saluja-nothing but a bitter, broken coward."

"That's not true, Alibaba-kun-"

"Yes, it is!"

"You're so much more than that."

"No I'm not! Aladdin, you think you know everything about me, but that's not true…"

"You told me you were born…"

"That was a lie!" He snapped. "_All of it…was nothing but a lie..." _He said, as finally he snapped and fell to the ground, sobbing.

Aladdin quietly handed him the parchments, and he read over them, as more tears trickled out of his eyes.

"_I was hoping that I could destroy those. Then you found them, and brought up…those days. I just wanted to forget! I just wanted to forget everything? Why'd you have to bring it back up? I don't want to remember!"_

He was shaking convulsively now, rocking back and forth.

"Alibaba-kun!" Aladdin cried, sensing all the turmoil among his rukh as black and white rukh mixed with each other, but more black than anything else.

"S-Fine…" He grumbled as he plopped his sword beside him. "Can we just get the hell out of the damned rain? I hate the rain. I just need to use this time to tell you about…me."

"About you? What about you? You're Alibaba Saluja, a royal prince, born to Anise, a prostitute in the slums who died young-"

"No."

"Your father was Rashid Saluja."

"_No."_

"Your brothers are Sahbmad and Abhmad."

"That's only half of the truth. I…they're not my real brothers by blood!"

They looked at him like he was crazy.

"…Of course it's true! Would I lie-of course I'm being hypocritical here! But the truth is, you guys, I'm not like you! I don't belong here! I'm not even supposed to exist here!"

"What do you-"

"I wasn't even born here!"

He held his sides, laughing cynically, and looked at them, a dark smirk on his face. "This is my true side. So what do you think? You scared?"

"Just disappointed in you." Morgiana said quietly.

"I figured. I disappoint everybody. But that's my lot in life. I'm a coward. Just a _yellow _coward." He growled, fists tightening on the scarf around his neck, before he looked at it in contempt. "Let me tell you the truth. They're my adopted brothers. In fact, I don't have any real siblings."

"I'm not even from this world! I'm not even from this reality, from this world, whatever you want to call it! I'm not from here, I'm from somewhere else."

"Is that possible?" Morgiana asked.

"Yes, and my real name is not Alibaba Saluja-that's nothing but a lie, too. Everything you know about me is nothing but a lie. So what do you have to say?"

"Just…tell us the truth." Morgiana said.

"I will…" He said determinedly. There was a sad, defeated look to his eyes. "Are you sure you won't be scared away by-"

Another resounding slap.

"You think so little of us? We know you as well as you know yourself." Morgiana said.

"Don't be so sure." Alibaba muttered. "The story of my true and pathetic self starts here. Will you listen to the tale of the fool, the tale of someone who's trapped between two worlds?" He said as he began to speak.

**Part 2 will be up tomorrow. I'm too tired to transcribe the second part. That will be Chapter 18. Chapter 19 will have some conflict in the real world and then in the Magi world. :D **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:Yup, here's the next part! Hope you enjoyed the angst last time. This one will mostly be Alibaba confessing his 'sins' to his friends. I spent most of the day reading Magi Adventures of Sinbad and read the entire manga in 4 hours. Awesome sauce. I feel bad for Drakon, though, he got the short end of the stick. His brother was an ass, he lost the girl he loved, and he was turned into a dragon and lost his humanity. Plus I really, really, really wanna roleplay Sinbad so badly. He's just so...awesome. And strong. Plus Alibaba sees him as this father figure. Oh, there's this hilarious moment in this story where they meet. And Alibaba doesn't know who Sin is, so Sin freaks out and it's awesome. Hopefully, I can include that in this chapter. I finished the first season and it was awesome. Looking forward to the second season. I don't really ship Alibaba with Kougyoku, though. Last chapter with third person in it.  
**

**Chapter 18 The truth about his life/adventures with Mikado**

* * *

"A fool trapped between two worlds?" Morgiana remarked, repeating the words as she looked at him in confusion.

"It's just as I said," He said, still looking at them with that same bitter, hardened look in his eyes, "I'm not Alibaba Saluja, I don't belong here and nothing you know about me is real. I'm nothing but a liar, coward, and a jerk. Go ahead and leave me. Everyone does."

"What are you going on about? Stop being so hard on yourself."

"Once I tell you everything, you'll leave me. It's just like he said. He always was right, he claimed to know everything about humans, he was right!" He said, laughing loudly again, which scared both of them. What had happened to the young boy they knew so well?

"Alibaba-kun, snap out of it!" Aladdin scolded.

"Right, where was I?" He muttered before glaring at the scarf he had around his neck and twisting it.

"If you don't like that one, I can always give you this." Morgiana said

"You got me another scarf? What color?" He asked, casually.

"Yellow, since I figured it would fit your hair and eye color."

His face turned puce with rage. "Not wearing something like that. Not again, not ever. Now put it away. No, wait. On second thought, I'll use that, just one last time…" He muttered as she handed it to him.

He grimaced at it like it was something akin to poison before he untied his red scarf and tied the yellow scarf around his neck. "How does it suit me?"

"It' suits you well, especially with your hair and eyes."

"Enough." He snapped. "It's only for one last time. Then I'm gonna burn it. Burn everything."

"Get to the point and stop being so dramatic."

"Well, how is it possible to be from another reality? I don't know it in its entirety, but I swear I'll try and be as honest as possible, even though that got me in trouble in the past."

"What about you growing up with Kassim in the slums?"

"Another lie."

"You being informed of being royalty-"

"Another lie."

"Him betraying you?"

"That wasn't a lie. Everything else was. I haven't really known Kassim for that long. I've only been here for around…seven years." He said, scratching his head.

"Seven?" Morgiana said.

"Well, how many people are going to believe someone who tells them they're from another reality? None."

"I believe you." She said.

"Go ahead and tell us, Alibaba-kun." Aladdin said, placing his hand on Alibaba's shoulder, who looked at him with wide eyes.

"Aladdin…" He muttered. "So one last time, I will…show you my true self. Only this once." He said icily. "The Shogun will rise from the ashes once more."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Think of them as bad…memories. Do you remember your parents?" He said to Aladdin, who shook his head.

"They're both dead."

"Well, this is the story of a fool. You're looking at him." He said before pointing at himself and laughing, holding his sides as he shook with laughter.

"You're not a fool." Morgiana snapped.

"Oh, yes I am, once you know everything about me, will you really be so sure?"

"Just get on with the damned story. We don't need your whininess."

"Fine, but I must warn you, it's not exactly a pleasant one. When you think of me, you only think of me as a smiling idiot, is that right?"

Morgiana paused as she thought over it. She always did think Alibaba was rather simple-minded and idealistic, but now that she looked at him, maybe she had been wrong in that assumption. She'd never imagined Alibaba would look so…sad, so lonely, and so broken. But above all that, she saw the keen look of intelligence in his eyes that she'd never seen before.

How much had he hidden from them all this time? The thought of him not trusting her enough pained her. She decided to just listen as he continued on.

"I don't even know myself anymore."

"Please tell me you're joking." Morgiana said in disbelief.

"I'm not," He said, "Well…this tale of a fool…it all begins, oh I don't know…" He started lifting up his fingers, calculating something, "Probably about two thousand years from now."

"Two thousand?" Morgiana muttered.

"Aladdin is from the past," Alibaba stated, "…But I am from a time far beyond this one."

"You are…?"

"A time traveler, yes," He said, "From the future. Not willingly."

"How is that even possible?" Morgiana questioned, always having believed that Alibaba was from their reality.

"…How am I supposed to know? Do I look like the Doctor?"

Upon seeing them blink at him, he tilted his head.

"Come on, guys, it's a television show-"

"What's a television?" Aladdin asked.

"Uh…it's a device you watch people on."

"You mean like binoculars?" Morgiana said.

He shook his head. "This will require a lot more explanation than I originally thought. Like I said, Alibaba is not my real name. I am not really Arabic. That language you heard me speak; Japanese, was my native language. Japan is over in what you guys call the Orient, it's an island nation of sorts, surrounded by water."

He twirled the yellow scarf around idly, "My real name is…geez, I haven't even breathed this in years."

"What is your real name?" Morgiana asked.

"It's not something I'll go by ever again, so you can hear me say it just this once," He remarked.

"I won't tell anyone," She said, and he smiled in relief.

"My real name is…Masaomi."

"Ma..sa..omi." She said, pronouncing the name on her tongue.

"Yes, Masaomi Kida, is my birth name. I no longer go by it," Alibaba said sharply.

"Why wouldn't you?" She asked simply, Aladdin watching in silence.

"Why would I go by a Japanese name when I'm supposed to be Arabic in an Arabic place? They'd start asking too many questions, right?"

"Did I offend you…?"

"So, what was your life like back there?" Morgiana said.

"Isn't that hard to explain…" He muttered, scratching his head. "A thousand years from now, or a long time ago from my perspective, there was a couple. A man and a woman. A man whose last name was Kida, but whose first name remains unknown because of extenuating circumstances. He met a pretty woman with brown hair-"

"Brown hair? But your hair is-" Aladdin said.

"It'll make sense eventually," He said. "Her name, too, is unknown. The memory's so old that even I forget their names. They were truly fools in love. So much so…that they decided to not get married. Get married, out of wedlock. However, something came and ruined their happiness forever. What do you suppose that thing was?" He said, turning around to face them, a sad smile dancing on his face.

"Who are they supposed to be, these people?" Morgiana asked.

"They're your mother and father, aren't they, Alibaba-kun?" Aladdin said.

"Yes, my biological parents, now deceased, happily."

Upon seeing Morgiana's concerned face, he sighed.

"I'm glad I don't know their names because I…despise them."

"You said your mother was a loving, kind person, though," Aladdin said.

"That was a lie. A delusion. Nothing more than a delusion cooked up by a lonely young boy, determined to prevent himself from remembering poisoned memories…" He mused.

"How long have you been keeping all this bottled up?"

"Long enough. It's about time I let it out, before it destroys me. It's just as the Dark Djinn part of me said-"

"He's still there?" Morgiana said in shock.

"Yeah, he is. He's been…active lately," Alibaba said.

"Didn't you get rid of him?" Aladdin asked.

"I can't, not completely," He said. "He makes up part of who I am. Anyhow, that mistake was made…whenever I was born."

"Why would it be a mistake?" Aladdin asked.

"Because, the foolish woman was too much in love to actually think about having a child. So when she discovered she was with child, she was outraged. And once my father discovered, well, he decided he'd had enough of her, so he left her for good. Even though she pleaded and begged him to come back, he'd had enough and left in his car, never to be seen again."

"Nonetheless, she gave birth to a baby boy, that was me, of course. She named me Masaomi, which means a vassal, which in all terms, what was she saw of me. So it was just me, and Mommy Dearest," He muttered, "I don't expect you to get that reference, though."

"Did your mother love you?" Morgiana said carefully, not sure how to proceed with this new Alibaba. One who seemed like mist, someone who disappeared at any moment.

"No. My mother hated me. Perhaps she would have loved me if I had been born when she was with that man. But because that man left her…when she looked at me, all she saw was him. I had his face, and because I was like him, because the first word I said was 'Daddy', that caused her to strike me. That caused her to curse me and hate me with every fiber of her being. Not a day went by where she didn't use my name as a curse. where she didn't hit me with something.

"One time she threw me down the stairs and I twisted my leg. She wouldn't even bother to send me to the doctor. She just told me to shut up and stop screaming and kept hitting me."

"Alibaba-kun, that's awful," Aladdin said.

"Well, she drank alcohol, too. Got drunk quite often. That old bitch would leave the house and then I would do whatever the hell I wanted, watch television, read books."

"You don't have to curse." Morgiana said.

"I…usually hold back. But for that bitch, I have nothing but the highest contempt for her. She never loved me. There were days where I'd go to school and she wouldn't be there to pick me up, so I'd have to walk myself home. This happened…when I was around four or five…I came in on her sleeping with one of her lovers. Because of this, she screamed at me and threw me out of the house. She locked me out in the cold for hours. I think the only reason I survived was because of my Djinn Equip powers-"

"You had them even then?"

"Not really. More like a heat tolerance. There was always something unnatural about me. But then, a turning point happened. She tried to kill me." He sounded cold as he recounted all this, completely unmoved.

"Kill you?" Morgiana said, "But why?"

"She hated me, of course. And what better way to get rid of a 'sin' than by destroying it?"

"You're not a sin."

"Try telling that to her, but she's dead, thankfully. I wished I were the one who slit her throat. I'm only kidding, but seriously I wish I was there. It would have been grand. I was just having fun…as a kid…playing with things. So why did she do it? The answer's simple, because she was an inhuman monster. I was filling up water in our house for a bathtub, turning it up and down, filling it as high as could be. Then she saw me, threw me against the wall, and then she threw me into the water, saying that if I liked the water so much, I should go play in it. Every time I tried to get back up, she kept pushing my head under. I decided then and there that I hated water. I'm an aquaphobe. I knew I had to survive."

"You…"

"I pushed her out of the way and then got out of that house as fast as possible. Then I ran into him…"

"Him?"

"The person I write all those letters to. The one who can never respond. Mikado. He was the only thing I had going for me. He's a Japanese kid with blue eyes like yours, Aladdin. He's the most innocent boy you could ever meet, and the kindest, and my dearest friend."

"You look awfully sad." Aladdin observed.

"He probably wouldn't be able to forgive me."

"I think he would be proud of you if you told him all the things you did."

"Thank you, and I do await the day when I can finally see him again. He's still…waiting for me. I can't let him down. I ran into Mikado when we were both toddlers. He helped me out and his parents were welcoming."

"My life made more sense. I had a friend in Mikado. So we went to school together, but even then things started to change. Eventually, my mother died. Turns out she tried to sleep with someone else and my father actually had interest in her so once he came back and saw she was sleeping with someone else, he became jealous, accused her of betraying him and killed her. I learned all of this, reading it in the paper. What else was I supposed to do locked up in the house but read? So I did lots and lots of it."

"I'm quite good at sneaking out."

"You had to do it to survive," Morgiana said.

"Yeah. Anyway, I went to school, and no one liked me. The teachers thought I was an attention seeker because I knew things and got good grades, and my classmates tripped me and called me a monster. That wasn't the worst of it. One time, they threw me outside and threw rocks at me, telling me to die. Then, Mikado stepped in and took a blow for me, right on the head. I can remember staring at him, begging him to move, but he wouldn't."

"Then I…burned their faces with Djinn Equip for the first time. I don't regret doing it. They deserved it. Naturally, I thought I was a monster, so I ran home screaming. Not all the way down, though, just some humor to lighten the mood."

"So basically you think having a shitty past excuses-"

"Let me continue. So, I met this guy…named Orihara Izaya, who I will never forgive. He committed a heinous crime, and for that I will take his life."

"Which is…?" Morgiana asked.

"I'll get to that. He's called an informant, someone who deals with people in trading information. But he has no heart, he's cold and manipulative. I ran into him as a young kid. He took me in as his son and let me go wherever I wanted and do whatever I wanted. Little do I realize he was just shaping me up to be his pawn. I was like his slave."

"You understand," Morgiana whispered.

"Not quite the same. But kind of. I was allowed to do whatever I wanted, but when it was Izaya's turn, I was never allowed to do what I wanted. I was forced to do inhuman things and he beat me, never that hard. He wanted me to think of him as a good person. Then I did another stupid thing; I joined a gang."

"Second time?"

"No first. They were called the Yellow Scarves," He said, pointing at the scarf around his neck.

"So you were…?" Morgiana said.

"The shogun of the yellow Scarves, what a joke! I was only eleven, to think I could do that, I was ridiculous!"

"Stop speaking so lowly of yourself. You're greater than this, Alibaba-kun," Aladdin said sharply.

"No, I'm not. I was so cocky and full of myself, so stupid it hurt. Then I met this girl…she was Izaya's pawn, and she was using me, too. I should've known at the time. Her name was Saki Mikajima and she was a complete and total bitch. Should've known that. Wouldn't just come up to a gang leader so confidently."

"She was your first love?" Aladdin asked.

"No, puppy love. Foolish love. Only once it was stained red did I realize what a fool I was. She often spoke highly of Izaya and I agreed with her that he was brilliant. There was another group of gangs called the Blue Squares. I forgot to mention this, but by Izaya's suggestion I moved out of my hometown and to Ikebukuro, a big city. Saki was…told by Izaya that she should go and deliberately get herself caught by them and get her legs broken. Just to make me a better pawn. She agreed with every single word of it."

"At the time, I thought she was an innocent bystander. That bastard called me up on the phone and let me hear her screams. What an actor I was, playing my part! I did it so well. I didn't save her. I blamed myself for it."

He paused in speaking before he took a jug of water and drank from it, having worn out his voice for a little bit. "What do you think?"

"…It's sad what you went through. No one would think you've been through so much." Aladdin said, "But I saw all those memories of yours when I purified the Dark Djinn and saved you. They really only passed by me faintly, though. From what I can tell, the past chains you down. You need to let go."

"…I feel like I am, ironically enough." He muttered. "But that's only half the story. Ready?"

They nodded.

"…Things went back to normal for a while. One day I got in a huge scuffle with the Blue Squares, beat the crap out of them. They swore they'd be back for revenge. Of course, the next morning who should call but Saki? By then, I'd had a vague idea that she was manipulating me. But I still wanted to be with her. Guys, actually…this is off-topic, but my real hair color is brown. I'd dyed it blond for a while, but somehow the second I came here, my hair was suddenly turned to blond permanently."

"How?"

"Magic, I guess. I look better as a blond, anyway."

"I can't imagine you with brown hair." Morgiana said.

"I had piercings on my ears, even then." He said.

"None of what happened was your fault." Morgiana said.

"Mikado came back to see me, and I agreed to go out with him. I'll never forget the look on his face as he begged me not to leave. I never saw him again. I just smiled like an idiot, telling him I'd be back. I should have stayed-"

"Then you never would have made our lives better." Morgiana said.

He stared at them with wide eyes. "…Yeah, you're right. Besides, no way to change fate, right?"

He froze.

"All I see when I look at you is a very lonely person. But we all make each other not so lonely, right?"

Morgiana wiped Alibaba's tears away from his face before she smiled. "No matter what happens, we'll stay by your side."

"Thanks," He said, "But I need to continue."

"You look worn out."

"_I need to continue. _So anyway I went on and visited her at the hospital. As I was walking, I suddenly was gagged and knocked out. When I woke up, I was bound down with rope, and it turns out that they'd lured me to a warehouse and the leader of that gang decided to torture me for fun. They tortured me for their amusement."

He rolled up his pant legs in time to reveal a faded scar, a wicked-looking one that was shaped like a sword. "It's dulled by now, but I'll never forget the pain. I can't."

"Forget about the past."

"It's all I know. They started to torture me. I'll never forget all that blood, coming from me. Izumii stabbed me. They stabbed my shoulder, snapped my limbs, and slugged me in the ribs and stomach. They wanted me to die as painfully as possible. I honestly thought I would die. Once I refused to bow down to them, they revealed they were near a river, which of course made me cry, as I can't swim. How pathetic."

"You only-"

"Who should show up but Izaya-"

They looked at him with horror.

"He was…" Aladdin said.

"…Yeah, he was watching the entire time. He was smiling and laughing. Actually, I was so overcome with joy I didn't even think to ask why he was there. As I was coughing, I asked him if he was there to save me, he just laughed at me and told me I was going to die and I should be happy about it. It was my destiny, and he walked off, laughing."

"Anyway, they destroyed my scarf and threw me into the water. I can recall wanting to live and yet die. I wanted to see Mikado. It was so cruel to just be thrown out of your reality like that. So, you can imagine my confusion when I woke up in a weird place with lights around me. I guess that was rukh. Next thing I know, I'm in a desert, technology didn't work."

"After that, I nearly starved to death, and then I meant Kassim, who helped me blend in, so I wasn't so odd. That's it, really. This entire time, I've been biding my time, doing everything I can to return to him. Even when I meant to use your genie, I was going to ask him to send me back home to Mikado."

"I'm glad you told us everything. But the past doesn't define who you are, Alibaba-kun. I think you've been wanting to hear these words for a long time. So I will tell them to you. _I…forgive you, Alibaba-kun."_

Alibaba stared at him with wide eyes as tears dripped out of his eyes. "You'll forgive me…even for lying to you?"

"You were brave enough to tell me everything. Just because we come from different worlds and dimensions doesn't mean we can't be friends. In fact, I think it strengthened the bond between all three of us."

"Aladdin…you're so freaking naive." Alibaba laughed.

Morgiana did something he didn't expect. She leaned forward and kissed him.

"That felt good." She said.

He started crying more. "Come here, you guys," He said as he hugged them both.

"I'm glad you told me. I…look forward to seeing your friend. I want to know everything about him, _Masaomi._"

"I forgive you, _Masaomi._ But you'll always be strong, brave, handsome, and kind Alibaba to me, who isn't as weak as the awful Izaya says he is."

"You guys…" He sniffled, looking at them. "But I…I lied to you. I've done so many bad things. I'm…so glad that you guys can all believe in me. That makes things, easier. I'm glad that you know who I really am…" He said, smiling.

"So how did you tell them everything, Masaomi?" Mikado asked me.

"It's a secret between the three of us." I said.


End file.
